Author Fighters: The Black Guardians
by Phoenix of the Darkness
Summary: A new villain appears, and unleashes the power of the Black Guardians on the world. But who is this man, and how does Phoenix know him? Rated T for violence and some language. COMPLETE!
1. Thus is Begins

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners. Katara belongs to Nickelodean. I only own my laptop._

_Chapter 1: Thus it Begins_

Droplets of rain fell down outside the window. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky. The accompanying crash of thunder shook the foundation of the Fanfiction Author Fighters headquarters. Looking out of the window of her room was a teenage girl of fourteen years.

Phoenix watched the storm from the safety of the building, never flinching even when there was an extremely large bolt of lightning from the sky over Los Angeles. She didn't move at all, even when the door to her room opened.

"Phoenix, you do know that the power's out, right?" X Prodigy asked her. "Because pretty much everybody else's seen it. DM said that there's only enough candles to light the living room, game room, and kitchen, so if you want light, you'll have to go down there."

She turned her head around to look at him, and blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" X looked at her like she was insane, and nodded. "Right, sorry. I'll just grab a book." She snatched a random book from the shelf and went downstairs while he continued going around to rooms.

Just as Phoenix entered the living room, D-Dude was lighting the candles with his fiery breath. "What book do you have?"

"Twilight," Phoenix replied. D-Dude made a look of disgust. "Do you want me to gravity-slam you through the wall?"

The Fictorian Dragonsaur continued lighting the candles without another word, and Phoenix quickly claimed a beanbag chair before any other authors could show up. Only five were there besides herself and D-Dude. There was Nukid sleeping, TL reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Kitten Hachi-chan was reading a Naruto manga, Ross was writing something, and Mistress of Dawn was listening to her MP3 player.

Phoenix opened up her book, and started reading. As the night went on, other authors came into the room, reading, writing, listening to music, and brought a candle with them to help light up the room.

At 10:00, there was suddenly a frantic knocking at the front door. "I got it," Ranger said. He went to the door, and opened it up. Standing out in the rain was a women who looked to be extremely distressed.

"Please, lightning struck a house next to me! There's a fire, and it's too big for the rain to put out! It's spreading as we speak!"

DM stood up, his staff in hand. "Where?"

"Three blocks that way!" the woman said, pointing to the west. "I'm sorry, you were closer than the fire department, and the power's out so I couldn't call them--"

"It's alright," DM said. "Everybody who can help, let's go!"

**BGBGBG**

Scarlet flames roared across the buildings, the rain doing nothing to put it out or prevent it from spreading. People were standing on the sidewalk, some burnt by the fires, others cut from their attempts to escape.

"D-Dude, heal the wounded!" DM ordered. The Dragonsaur got to work, using his healing ability to help those burnt and cut.

Airnaruto made a long series of hand seals. "Water Style: Water Dragon Missile!" Rainwater swirled up and created a gigantic dragon. The Author Ninja directed it to the bases of the houses, so that the water pressure wouldn't make the houses collapse. TL reached out with his aura arm and wrenched the top of a fire hydrant off in a manner that directed the water at the houses. Kitten blasted the flames with bursts of ice. And each of the other authors used their abilities to help either put out the flames, or just provided support.

Despite the fact that Phoenix didn't exactly fall under the category of "Authors who can help," she had still come with them, along with Nukid and Lunatic. With the former using only martial arts, and the latter using all fire-style jutsus, and herself dealing with mostly destroying things(1), they were fairly useless in a situation like putting out a fire.

From nowhere, a man came running by Phoenix, heading toward the building she was in front of, one of ten buildings on fire at the moment. She ran after him and grabbed. "What are you, insane? You'll kill yourself!"

"My daughter's in there!" the man said. "She's only three, I thought she was out! Please, if I can't, you have to save her!"

Phoenix looked around. All of the others were busy trying to put out the fire. "Alright! But whatever happens, don't come inside!" The man nodded. She let go of him, and ran into the burning building, saying to herself "I've clearly gone nuts."

Just as she reached the door, she remembered that it probably wasn't a good idea to have a long coat on when running into a fire. It wasn't a good idea to be running into a fire in the first place, but she that wasn't important at the moment. She pulled it off, threw it onto the lawn, and ran inside.

"Hello! Is somebody in here!" Nothing. Phoenix ran through the house, avoiding the flames as she went. When she came across some stairs, she went up them gingerly. When she reached the top of the steps, she called again. "Hello! If you can hear me, shout 'One Thousand!'"

"One thousand! Over here! Help!" a little girl called from the room to her right. Phoenix wrenched open the door. In the corner of the small bedroom was a little girl with slightly singed hair.

"It's alright, I'm going to help you," Phoenix said, bending down with her arms open. "Ever heard of the Author Fighters?"

The little girl gasped. "You're an Aw--an Auth--" she said, struggling to pronounce the word.

"I'm a writer. That means the same as author," Phoenix said. "Just come with me, and I can get you out." The little girl came over, and the keybearer scooped her up in her arms. "Okay, that was the hard part, but now for the fairly easy part. Getting you out."

Phoenix ran from the room. The hallways had started to fall apart, pieces of wood falling all the time. "Looks like I should use it," Phoenix said, reaching into her pocket. She carefully inserted the Power Stone into her gauntlet. "Tracking!"

Instantly, the smell of smoke grew stronger in her nose. She could hear some of the other Author Fighters outside, arguing with this girl's father. And she could see a support beam about to fall on her head.

Phoenix stepped out of the way, and headed toward a small window at the end of the hall of the upper floor. It was just large enough for a small girl to go through. "Alright, I want you to listen to me," Phoenix said. "I can control how fast you fall." That wasn't a very technical way of putting it, but close enough. "So you're going to jump out the window, and then you'll fall slowly. Almost like you're flying, got it?"

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Phoenix said. "Once you're out, I can use much more, explosive, ways to get out of here." She set the girl down on the sill, facing out. "Jump on three. One, two, three!"

The girl jumped from the window, and at the same time Phoenix spread the fingers of her right hand. The girl fell slowly through the air, and when she landed, she ran to her father.

"And now, let's see what this wall likes of a gravity slam!" Phoenix said, about to start gathering power when she heard a clunk behind her. She whirled around, and saw that the radiator was on fire, and about to blow. "Oh, crap." She had about four seconds before things got messy.

Phoenix switched out her Tracking Stone. "Strength!" She punched straight through the wall. It collapsed around her hands. "Let's get outta here!" She jumped out of the building, just as the radiator exploded. With a twitch of her hand, gravity was reduced, and she fell to the ground. She rolled as she hit the ground, and ended laying on her back.

"Yep. I'm officially insane. And I survived because of that," Phoenix said. She looked over, and saw that her arm was laying on black cloth. She sat up, and pulled on her duster. "That feels better."

"Are you insane?" Phoenix looked up, and Kitten was standing over her.

"No, that would be your boyfriend," Phoenix said. "I'm fine, honestly. Except now that I think about it, I'm a bit of an idiot." She stood up, and went through her pocket. She pulled out a blue rounded crystal, with the Water Tribe symbol carved into it. "Katara!"

In a flash of light, Katara appeared. "Can you help them take care of that fire?" Phoenix asked, pointing at the flames.

"You got it." Katara ran to help with the fire. She raised up an amazing amount of water, and sprayed it all over the flames.

"Hello, Katara-san," Hikari Ino said. She was using her own waterbending abilities to try and put the fire out.

"Hi, what's up, kinda busy!" Katara said, doing her motions again. "Help me out here, if you don't mind?"

Hikari used waterbending as well, in order to draw up more water. Together, they brought up an amount of water the same volume as a house. Each of them ran sideways, drawing out the water into a sheet six inches thick. "Now!" Hikari shouted.

Both of them released the water, which splashed down onto three houses, completely putting out the fires there. "Alright!" Katara cheered. "Let's do it again!"

After another three tries of doing this, plus the other authors' work, plus firefighters showing up, the flames were finally extinguished.

"Thanks, Katara," Phoenix said, rotating the summon charm in her hand.

"Glad to be of help," the waterbender said. "See you later." In a flash of light, Katara vanished, and the summon charm glowed momentarily before returning to normal. Phoenix replaced the charm in her pocket.

"Ow." There had been a slight prick in her thigh when she put the charm away.

"What up?" Nukid asked.

Phoenix examined her hand, and her right eyebrow went up. "How did I miss that?" She turned it around, and between two pieces of her gauntlet, there was a piece of jagged metal an inch wide going into her hand. "Must have gotten it from the radiator that blew. I guess that the Strength Stone enhancing my muscle dulled my nerves." She removed the Power Stone, and winced. "Bad idea. Very, bad idea." She swore. "It's almost all the way through my hand. I picked a very bad time to dismiss Katara."

"I'll get somebody who can heal that," Nukid said, already starting to walk away.

"No!" Phoenix said suddenly. "I-I can take care of it. I've got some stuff in my room back at HQ."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Nukid asked. "That looks like it would be pretty painful."

"No, it feels ticklish, actually," Phoenix said sarcastically. "Hell yeah it's painful! But they need to preserve their strength for healing others." She stood up, winced from the pain, and headed back to the headquarters.

**BGBGBG**

Once within the privacy of her own room, Phoenix locked the door, and shrugged off her duster. The only reason she had taken it off before running into the building was because she really didn't want to catch on fire. Again.

She looked underneath her bed, and drew out a medical kit, full of anything you could possibly need. She got out what she would need--bandages, rubbing alcohol, elixir, washcloth--and loosened the clasps on her gauntlet. "Alright, gotta do this quickly."

Phoenix grabbed the sliver of metal in her hand, bit her lip, and drew it out as fast as possible. She quickly pulled off her gauntlet, and started applying pressure to the cut. Blood was already starting to drip from it. Once she had staunched the bleeding for the most part, she pulled out the stopper of the elixir bottle out with her teeth, and poured some of it onto the cut. The magical liquid immediately began to heal and seal up the cut.

When the elixir was done with its work, Phoenix went to work cleaning away the dried blood from her hand, and bound up her hand with the bandages. "Done," she said.

Phoenix sighed. With her left index finger, she traced the web of lines along her forearm. She snapped her gauntlet back on, and pulled her duster on. "Out of sight, but not quite out of mind."

Downstairs, there was the sound of the door flying open, and Authors coming inside, most likely soaking wet like herself from the rain. Phoenix looked out the window, and another lightning bolt lit up the sky. "Just like you."

* * *

_(1) Seriously, if you need help busting out of a prison and don't care how much noise is made, I'm your girl. But if you need to help sneaking through an enemy's base to gather information, you'd be better off bringing a rogue elephant._

_And here it is! My first Author Fighters fic, The Black Guardians! I got seriously inspired to write today after updating three of my other fics (finishing one of them) so I wrote this entire first chapter, and started on the second chapter. I currently have no clue how long this is going to be. Remember, reviews are always appreciated!_


	2. Enter the Black Guardians

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners. Tails is owned by the Sonic Team._

_Chapter 2: Enter the Black Guardians_

All of the Authors woke up the next morning at different times. Some got up as early as four, others slept in until noon. But the storm clouds overhead were as thick as last night, and the rain was even worse, making even the ones who liked to sleep the most get up at just past twelve.

One of the ones who had gotten up at four in the morning was D-Dude. He hadn't been able to sleep much, for reasons he hadn't been able to figure out. He tried to focus on his book, one on Chinese Mythology, but something tugged at the back of his mind. He slammed the book shut. "What is this?" he asked himself. He let his mind relax, and was immediately overwhelmed by his Sixth Sense.

A minute later, he came back to reality. He groaned.

"What's up?" Loony asked. He had walked into the room just as D-Dude was released from his vision. "Wait, did you have one of those Sixth Sense moments?" The Dragonsaur nodded. "I swear, if you say that you felt like a thousand voices cried out at once, then were suddenly silenced, I'll sic Shrapnel on you."

"No, no," D-Dude said, standing up. "It felt like, fighting. Lots of fighting, between the Earth and itself. I need to go talk to DM."

---

A half an hour later, the Author Fighters were gathered in the meeting room and D-Dude had finished describing his vision of sorts.

The others immediately broke into conversation, trying to figure out what it was that D-Dude felt. In the back of the room, Phoenix had her eyes closed, deep in thought. Her eyes snapped open. "I can't focus with these guys like this!" She went over to TSS, who was cleaning one of his guns. "Is that loaded?" TSS nodded. "May I borrow it?"

"Are you going to shoot somebody?" the vampire asked.

"No, just get these guy's attention."

TSS hit the safety, and handed her the gun. Phoenix raised it into the air, and pulled the trigger. A hole was left in the ceiling, and the bang got everybody's attention. Phoenix gave TSS back his gun. "Thanks."

"First off, I have a question to ask D-Dude," she said. "Have you ever felt this feeling before? Sometime around November of last year, to be specific."

D-Dude thought about it. "Yeah, I did actually. It was a lot duller, though, since it was another world."

She sighed. "Then, I think I know what's going on." She put her hand on the table. "In this world, there are thirteen guardians, representing the different elements, from the classical, to the obscure. Somebody has perverted these guardians, warping them to the side of darkness." Thunder rattled the windows. "There are only three people I have ever heard of who would have the power to do this. You guys know two of them."

"Drake and Shade Blood?" the Angelic Soldier guessed.

"Correct," Phoenix said. "However, neither of them would care to do this. Mostly because there would be no advantage for them to destroy the planet. No, there's only one person who would care to do this, as he attempted to destroy a world once before. His name is Omega. He has both the reason to destroy the world, and the means to do so."

"So how do we restore the Guardians?" Airnaruto asked.

Phoenix shrugged. "Beats me. I just know that they exist."

And apparently, just about nobody knew any more about them than what Phoenix had just told them. "Alright!" DM said, getting everybody's attention. He looked to Hikari. "Hime, do you know if anybody in the Balance World could know any more about this?"

"Maybe," she said. "There's a few libraries. If a few people came along with me, there's one in particular we could search for information about this."

"Alright then," DM said. "HQ, D-Dude, Air, go with her. Try to find whatever information you can on these Guardians. As for everybody else, don't fall asleep, or get to absorbed in anything you're reading. There's been some claims of Heartless showing up around LA, and we need to be on the alert."

---

Later, Hikari and the others had returned, but had no information at all about the Guardians. ShadowDJ had gone--alone--to the Underworld to see if his mentor, the Grim Reaper, knew anything about it. That had been an hour earlier, and there was still no word from him. His phone wasn't picking up either.

A dozen authors sat around in the living room, waiting for some news from somebody, anybody at all. In the meantime, they were doing what they did.

"Hey Phoenix," Nukid said. She looked up. "Where did you say you came from?"

"I never did say it," she replied. "But I will say that I didn't come from this world."

"Where'd you come from, then?" HQ asked.

Phoenix hesitated for a moment. "My homeworld is called Unity."

"Why do you like talking about things that nobody else has ever heard of before?" Loony asked. "Seriously, has anybody in here ever heard of 'Unity' before?" Everybody who was paying the remotest attention shook their head. "Like I thought. I want to hear about it. Is everybody there seven feet tall and have seven eyes?" This got him a round of stares. "I have to constantly make jokes! Everybody here knows that already!"

Phoenix blinked. "Right. Uh, well, let's see. Unity, it's not a natural world, per se. It was created by a woman who knew it was her fate to create a world where many people, from many other worlds, could live peacefully together. She found many people who had no life in their home world, and brought them to live in Unity, in exchange for their promise to help create it."

By now, the authors who hadn't been very interested before were listening with at least part of their brains. "There were some ninjas from all over. There was even a member of the Hyuga Clan, who had been part of a Branch House. There were Alchemists, Poke'Mon Trainers, all sorts of warriors from all over, mages, wizards." She sighed. "I'm not doing any justice to Unity in this description of it. Just, imagine this:

"You wake up in the morning, and go and watch a Blitzball match, and next door you play full-on virtual reality games until lunch. After lunch, you play a game of soccer, then you watch some guys you know from school play a game of Duel Monsters. That evening, you go see a movie in one of those drive-in movie theaters, without the cars, with a bunch of your friends. But you barely pay attention to the movie because some guy set off color-changing smoke bombs under your blanket, and the powder gets on your clothes, making them change color until they get washed."

"I gotta find out how to do that," Loony said, grinning.

"Over my dead body," TL said. "But I gotta say, Unity sounds kinda overly-perfect."

"You mean, like one of those cities in the sci-fi novels where everything is monitored by the government 24/7?" Phoenix asked. TL nodded. "Well, I suppose you could take it that way. But part of the reason that it's so peaceful is because of the fact that everybody there knows what it's like, from either personal experience or stories they've been told, what it's like to be an outcast, or stuck in the middle of a war. Sure, people argue, but since you're able to do pretty much anything you want--with some limits--it doesn't do anything like escalate into big fighting."

"Sounds like a nice place," Kiva said. "So why'd you leave it?"

Phoenix bit her lip. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud bang.

DJ came into the room, looking rather dizzy. His robe was singed. "Grim Reaper's Apprentice, reporting with information about the Guardians." He saluted, and grinned stupidly.

"Grim wasn't happy to see you?" DM asked.

DJ shook his head. "No, he didn't mind. But, he was bleaching his bones. Oh, the horror." He shivered. "But, I did find out about the Guardians, and how we get 'em back to normal. Might want to call another meeting, though. I don't wanna say it a lot." He started staring at Hikari. "X Prodigy? What did you do to your hair?"

---

As DJ spoke to the Author Fighters, he had his broken arm in a sling. Hikari looked satisfied with herself. "To put in bluntly, we have to beat the snot out of the Guardians to get 'em back to normal. But it's not that simple.

"In thirteen places around the world, there are temples built to honor the guardians. The temples can be very simple, nothing more than a cave. But in each temple, there's a gateway, to a pocket dimension. The gate will only open with a special key. A keyblade is required to use the key, which we already have." Phoenix summoned her keyblade pointedly, then dismissed it soon after. "But only a certain form of the keyblade can open it. The keychain for it was shattered into four pieces, and spread around the globe.

"We have to repair the keychain, and save the world. We have about two weeks to do so. The faster we can start going after the guardians, the more power this Omega guy will lose over the Earth." DJ took a deep breath. "That's the extent of the knowledge Grim had."

"So we have to figure out how to find the pieces," Phoenix said. "Anybody got Tails' number? I met him once--nearly blew my head off--and maybe he could build a tracker for us, since keychains have a specific magical signature."

Five pairs of eyes looked to TSS. His eyes went from one person to the next. "Alright, I'll give him a call."

---

Tails had come and gone, leaving behind a modified Chaos Emerald tracer, which had already pinpointed the locations of all four shards of the keychain. One in New York. One in Cairo. One in Paris. And one somewhere within the Moscow Metro System.

While other authors prepared to leave, Phoenix was already ready to go. She had her laptop in a water-proofed backpack, and needed nothing else. So she sat on the roof, in the rain, with her hood up.

The door to the stairway opened. DM walked out. "Phoenix? What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Thinking about him," she said. "Omega, I mean."

"How do you know him? You seem like you've met him before. A few times."

Phoenix looked down at the ground a few stories below here. "DM, there are three things you and everybody else need to know about Omega." She put up her index finger. "First, he is more powerful than any single author." She put up a second finger. "Two, he is barely human." She put up a third finger. "And three, he is one of the most evil beings in the universe. And he knows it."

* * *

_Dun, dun, dun!_

_I know that I'm a little blunt in getting to the main story quest in this, but I am not one for subtlety. Ever. And I promise, this chapter will be the last for a while that I'll be having the big major part in it. Alright then, moving on! Reviews are always appreciated, everybody!_


	3. Into the Depths

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners. Deadpool belongs to Marvel. I only own my laptop._

Something made a squelching noise underneath TSS's foot. He raised his leg out of the water, and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Sewers. Why did it have to be sewers?"

"Don't think that anybody else here is happy about it," Airnaruto said. "New York is my hometown, but I never really wanted to get this, close to it." With a burst of airbending, he blasted the muck off of his clothes.

DM and Hikari had it the easiest, since Hikari had cast a spell on their boots that kept the water away from them. TL had it the worst, since he was the shortest, making it so that the water went almost up to his waist.

"This is really nasty," the Fictorian Hedgehog said. "My boots are getting wet, and--RAT! RAT!" He blasted the gigantic rat with red electricity. That is, he tried to, and missed. Instead, he hit the water, making it so that everybody who was touching the water--Airnaruto, TSS, Hurricane's Quill, and X Prodigy--got shocked. TL laughed nervously. "Sorry, fast little sucker. Right, right."

HQ shook his head. "So, how are we supposed to find this thing? Just wander around looking for a sign that says 'Keychain Shard Here'?"

"The tracker gets more specific the closer we get," DM said. "So right now, it says that it's somewhere in this section, but as we move in on it, the signal gets stronger."

"If you say so," HQ said. He stopped walking right there. "Do you guys hear something? It's like, a thumping noise?"

The other authors stopped and listened. Two seconds later, there was a crashing noise, and somebody came falling out from a manhole, screaming. The guy sat up, and a few of them groaned. It was none other than the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool.

"Hoo, boy! Hello, Miami!" He looked around. "Whoa, what happened to Miami?" _What a dump. I mean, seriously, what would it take for them to clean up the beach a little bit? And couldn't they get rid of the freaks? I just wanna go on a well-deserved vacation, and they have all of the freak shows around here. Like the rat over there with the robot hand. And the guy with the mask. I wonder what's under there? What's he hiding?_ Then: _If I had a monkey, I'd name him Jimmy_(1)_._

"He's not listening to a word you're saying," X said bluntly.

"Wilson!" DM said sharply. Deadpool looked up. "I was saying, what are you doing here?"

Deadpool sighed. "Well, you see, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much--"

"Not that! What are you doing in the sewers of New York City?"

The Merc looked shocked. "Sewers?" He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out a folded piece of paper no larger than his thumb. He started to unfold. And unfold. And unfold even more, until it was almost as tall as the tunnel. Deadpool examined the map and scratched his head. "Maybe I should've taken a left at Albuquerque(2). No matter!" He crunched it up into a ball, threw it away, and produced a lawn chair from nowhere. He sat down on it, and whipped out a pair of sunglasses. He sat back and acted like he was tanning.

"Where were you keeping that lawn chair?" Hikari asked, even though she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know.

"It involves an awful lot of lubricant," Deadpool said, grimacing under his mask(3).

DM shook his head. "Let's keep moving, and leave him to his . . . vacation."

As they started to move away, Deadpool looked over the top of his sunglasses. "Wait, wait!" he shouted, and ran in front of them. "C'mon, let me come along! Pretty please with sardines and titanium on top?"

"He's not going to shut up unless you let him come," TL reminded DM. "Then again, he probably won't shut up even if you let him come along."

"Can you quit with the completely stupid things then?" DM asked, but he wasn't hoping for much.

Deadpool saluted. "SIR, YES SIR! STOWING ALL STUPID THOUGHTS, SIR!" Two seconds later, he asked: "Should the vein in your head be throbbing like that?"

DM rubbed his temples. "Deadpool, it's currently taking every ounce of my self-control to not kill you right now."

"Of which I have none," HQ said. He whipped out his Dragon Breaker pistol, and shot Deadpool with a ragnite bullet. It blasted through Deadpool's ribcage, tearing apart three ribs, and ripping up his right lung.

"That hurt!" Deadpool complained. He looked at X Prodigy. "Kiss it and make it better?" X took a few steps back. "Meany." He made a few spasms, and the skin, muscle, ribs, and lung repaired themselves in seconds, thanks to his accelerated healing factor.

HQ's holstered his gun. "Don't know about you guys, but I certainly feel better after that."

"Lemme try that," TSS said. He pulled out his crowbar, and hit Deadpool over the head with such force that the mercenary's neck broke, and his head hung at a very odd angle. He fixed it, and it repaired.

"Is it Hurt Me Day?" Deadpool complained. He pulled out a pocket calendar and checked the date. "Whaddya know? It is." He showed it to Airnaruto. Every single day on the calendar was labeled "Hurt Deadpool Day." The Merc with a Mouth shut the calendar and threw it into the sewer water. "I'm gonna go get some sushi. Bye-bye! Call me, hottie!" He shouted the last part in Hikari's direction.

Before DM could wrap his hands around Deadpool's throat, he hit a button on his transporter, and vanished.

"That guy's more insane than Loony," TL deadpanned. "Seriously." He sighed, and looked at his boots. "I hope that this stuff comes out. Otherwise, the guy who volunteered me for this is going to be dead."

"You volunteered yourself for this," X said. He stuck his hands in his pockets, and looked down the sewer pipe. "Crocodile."

"Crocodiles don't live in the sewers," Hikari said. "Alligators, on the other hand…"

Something big cast its shadow over the Authors. It roared in fury, hitting them with the smell of rotten fish.

"Crikey," HQ said. "That's one big gator."

* * *

_(1) Got that from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody._

_(2) This was from Bugs Bunny._

_(3) This is what he said when he was questioned by two other heroes in an X-Men Comic, and I cracked up when I read it._

_Cliffhanger! Dun, dun, duuuuuun._

_Deadpool is fun to write. You can do some of the gags that you could never do with anybody else. Plus, it's Deadpool. The Merc with a , reviews are always appreciated!_


	4. Crocodiles and Machina

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Let us push onwards!_

**Chapter 4: Crocodiles and Machina**

"`Ey, what's goin' on 'ere!" the alligator shouted. "Yo, Joey, come check out these freaks!"

From the water came another alligator. Each one was ten feet in length, with jaws full of teeth. "C'mon, I was takin' a nap, Jimmy!" the alligator called Joey said. "I finally got back to sleep afta that croc showed up, and now dis!"

"Those alligators are talking," TSS said, in shock.

"In Brooklyn accents," Hikari noted.

"`Ow'd you expect we'd talk! Maybe like one 'o' dem German freaks!" Jimmy said. "Seriously, wassup wid dem!"

"Ah, shaddup!" Joey shouted at his buddy. He looked at the Authors, several of whom were on the verge on freaking out completely. "So what're you doin' down 'ere!"

"We're looking for something," DM said. "It's a piece of metal, probably about this large." He stuck his thumb up. "It's magical."

"No clue what he's talkin' about," Joey said. "you?"

"Don't even register!" Jimmy said. "Magic, that's not what you'd find down here. Heard of it, but nevah felt it."

"It feels a little like this," Hikari said. She sang a few bars of a song. "When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires, will come to you." A dreamy looked came over the alligators' faces, if that was possible.

"You mean dat?" Joey asked. "I felt that a dozen other times."

"Same 'ere," Jimmy said. "Just go down dis pipe, take a right, left, left, and right. It's right around dere. Got it?"

Hikari nodded. "Thank you for your help." She turned to the others, and mouthed "Let's get the hell outta here!" Apparently, she was one of the ones who didn't want to hang around long enough for the gators to get hungry.

**BGBGBG**

The further they went on the path the alligators had given them, the more specific the tracker got, until finally the tunnel opened up into an underground dome. Water was still there, but it wasn't quite as deep as before. Only about three inches.

"All right, split up and search," DM said, pocketing the tracer. "It's somewhere in here, we just have to find it."

TSS swallowed his disgust, and looked through the water. He saw the glint of something metallic. "Hey, I might have found something," he said, and picked it up out of the water.

This metallic thing was definitely not the keychain shard, as it was far too large. What he had picked up originally was the end of the chain. The other end was connected to a chunk of metal about the size of his head. "A robot?"

The miniature robot shook the water away, and looked at TSS. It yanked itself from him, then whipped the chain around his ankle. Electricity shocked him through the chain. He quickly whipped out his crowbar, and smacked it away.

"That's not a robot, I don't think," TL said. "More looks like machina. Little robot things from Final Fantasy." As soon as he finished his sentence, more machina, stronger ones, dropped down from the ceiling.

"TL-san, how do you beat them?" Hikari asked.

"Well, Rikku's able to defeat them in one attack," TL recalled.

"In case you haven't noticed, he isn't with us right now," HQ said dryly.

"No, the one I'm talking about has two K's, and she's a girl," TL said. "But I digress. Usually these guys are weak to electricity."

"Now we're talking," DM said. "Thunder!" A bolt of lightning struck one, and shorted it out. TL zapped one with red lightning, making sure to aim carefully this time.

As he lacked electrical abilities, Airnaruto pulled out a kunai, slipped around a machina, and cut apart the wires connecting its head and body. It walked around aimlessly, before X shot it to pieces. Hikari blasted one with airbending, and HQ stabbed it through the middle with his Gunblade. Since a machine gun wasn't the best choice in these close quarters, TSS continued using his crowbar, to very good effect.

HQ sheathed Gardafang, and shape-shifted into his bobcat form. He ripped apart the machina, until one big one kicked him in the face. As he flew through the air, he changed back to human, and slammed into the side of the tunnel. "Ow," he groaned. He fell to the ground, and grabbed Gardafang again. He sliced it through the air. "Garda's Rebuke!" A blue wave of energy froze the machina in place.

Chakra started to swirl in Airnaruto's palm. He flew at a big machina. The Rasengan ripped apart its wiring with its rotation before being blasted backward by the force, destroying some of its fellows in the process.

DM chanted a spell, and swung his staff through the air. A burst of flames shot through the air at the machina, blasting them at the wall. Hikari clapped her hands together, and tapped the surface of the water. The water froze to ice. The bits of water that the machina were covered with froze as well, cracking them to pieces.

With a bullet to the head from TSS, the final machina was destroyed. The Authors were breathing heavily, but considering they had fought off at least fifty machina, they were doing pretty well.

"Everybody good?" X asked around. Nobody had any sort of lethal injury, though a few of them were slightly singed from the machina's electrical attacks. "Okay, so we've got good news, bad news, and worse news. The good news is that everybody's alright." There were a few nods. "Bad news, the storms must be kicking up outside because the water level's going up." It had already gone up another three inches since they came into this chamber.

"What's the worse news?" DM asked, dreading the answer.

"There's something over there and I don't think it's happy," X said, pointing at the other entrance to the chamber.

The sound of metal sliding against other parts could be heard, along with clicking of pieces snapping into place. A hiss came from the darkness.

* * *

_At last, the newest chapter! Machina, for the record, is pronounced ma-kee-na, not ma-shee-na. I made that mistake originally. And those crocodiles were inspired by the ones in The Wild. However, since I never saw that movie, I don't know what their names were, nor whether they actually spoke with those Brooklyn Accents. I just saw them in the ads._

_But this chapter took me forever to write, and not just because I went to summer camp for a week. But either way, I started writing today, and it was like "Wait, I finished it? Sweetness!"_


	5. Basteel

A long serpentine robot of sorts slid out from the tunnel. It was fifteen feet long, and a foot-and-a-half thick at its thickest. Its eyes were bloody red. "You are the Author Fighterssss, correct?" it hissed. "I sssupose that you couldn't be anything different, yesss?" It opened its mouth, to reveal fangs half a foot long. "I have been order by my massster to dissspose of you! I am Basssteel!" He lunged through the air, fangs bared.

They leapt out of the way. Mostly. X sidestepped rather than jumped. One of the fangs just barely caught his pants. With a tearing sound, they came off, to reveal pink boxer shorts. His pants were now hanging from Basteel's mouth. "Damn it," he swore.

TL laughed. "Nice one," he said, and zapped the lizard with electricity. Basteel shook it off, and opened his maw. A stream of flames shot out at the Authors. Airnaruto sent a burst of airbending, diverting the flames.

The snake coiled up tightly, then spun quickly, creating a wave of water spreading in all directions. Airnaruto created a dome of air around them, deflecting all the water away. He made the dome dissipate, then sent tightly-spinning disks through the air, which grinded against Basteel's scales, ripping off a few. Basteel whipped his tail around in retaliation, nicking Air's arm.

Basteel felt bullets coming at him from his side. He turned his head to look, and saw that it was TSS who was shooting at him. Basteel wrapped himself around the vampire, and tighting his coils. He felt a series of bullets pierce his side. They were coming from TSS's pistol, somehow getting inbetween his scales' layering, messing up with his internal parts. Basteel released TSS before further damage was done.

"When he coils up, there's a gap in the plating!" TSS shouted to the others.

But Basteel had already learned his lesson, and stayed fairly straight, enough to eliminate the gap. He slithered through the water, nearly invisible in its murky depths. He leaped from the water, colliding with DM, who got slammed into the wall. A spike shot from Basteel's mouth, narrowly missing DM's forehead. The Halfa ducked away, causing it to knock his helmet off.

He scooped his helmet out of the water. There was a dent the size of a baseball in it, as well as something from the sewer itself that he really didn't want to know about. DM sighed. "Well, this stinks. Literally." With a quick spell, he fixed it and got rid of most of the smell.

Basteel laughed. A burst of electricity shot from him, electrocuting those touching the water. Which was everybody. Scales readjusted themselves along his body, turning his skin razor-sharp. He slithered around at high speed, scratching up the Authors, still stunned from the electrical attack.

Hikari thought quickly. _Cresselia, please, grant me your power,_ she asked the Lunar Poke'Mon. "Balance Cresselia!" she shouted. Silver light burst up around her, turning her into her Pokemorph form.

"Heal!" Hikari said, raising her arms. She and her friends were healed of the injuries Basteel inflicted upon them. She flicked the disks on her arms at Basteel, which knocked away scales, creating a gap in the armor. "Nii-san!"

"Got it," Quill said, running at Basteel and stabbing his sword into the gap. He made as much a mess of the innards as he could before retreating. Basteel shook it off, and breathed out, releasing a green gas of some sort into the air.

DM, still a little sore over his helmet, whipped his staff around, creating a wind that dispersed the poisonous gas, and sending any remnants through the tunnel Basteel had come from. With a few words, water burst up around him, and froze into spikes of ice. He let the spikes fly, right into Basteel's mouth.

"You think that can do anything to me?" Basteel asked with a laugh. If he had had any eyelids, his eyes would have widened. An enormous burst of energy shot from the end of DM's staff, snapping Basteel's head back so far it would have killed any normal living being. Basteel shook it off, and retaliated by bending his head back, opening his jaw, and firing bullets like a machine gun.

Airnaruto made a series of hand seals. "Light Style: Protective Wall Jutsu!" A wall of light was created. Every round that made contact with it vaporized on the spot. "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" The water that had given Basteel his advantage in the fight, swirled up around him, and sent him crashing into the wall.

While Basteel was stunned, TL drew the UFO while Quill brandished Gardafang. Both of them went at the serpent, with TL going high, pinning Basteel against the wall with his aura arm (he was using the UFO to hold himself against the wall) while Quill made a series of three strong slashes to the throat, destroying Basteel's armor where he struck. He ended with a straight stab through the center. He looked up at TL, and sighed. "What are you doing?"

"Give me a second," TL said, reaching into Basteel's head. "Hey, this looks important!" He yanked out some wires, then jumped away.

Basteel's photoreceptors had gone out. Translation: He couldn't see. Anything. "You think you can beat me? Me! I am the magnificent Basssteel! I was chosen by my master to guard this place, and I ssshall not fail him!"

X sighed. "This is just sad," he said. Sparda was over Basteel's head, and the guy didn't even realize it. "This is for earlier!" He stabbed downward, straight into what was effectively Basteel's brain.

Basteel twitched a few times, and his head fell into the water. He didn't move again. X pulled his pants from between Basteel's fang. They were a mess, and didn't resemble anything so much as...

"Is that a wet paper towel?" TSS asked.

"Yeah, that must be it," X said, tossing them away. He examined the head, and saw something embedded in the scales of Basteel's forehead. "What's this?" he said to himself, and pulled it out. It was white, shaped like half of a heart. There was a small indentation in the middle. "Hey, is this what we've been looking for?" he asked, tossing it to DM.

The Halfa looked at it, then nodded. "I can feel the magical signature. C'mon, let's get back to the others.

---

As they came in--specifically, as X came in--to the _Phoenix_, a few Authors were in the Bridge. Ranger looked like he had come to make sure nobody tried to pilot his ship, but had gotten sucked into a card game with Kiva and Liberi (Ranger was up 60 bucks), Rook was looking something up online, and Phoenix was--when is she never--reading a book.

She looked up, and laughed when she saw X. "That's for the maid's outfit, and the shrinking dresses!"

X was steaming. "I'm gonna go get some pants," he said.

Liberi looked over. "Okay, why do you have bunnies on your underwear?"

"Why are you looking at my underwear!" X shot back, and left them.

Liberi blinked. "Did he just call me gay?"(1)

Phoenix ignored him, and turned to DM. "So, you found the shard?" DM gave her the piece of the keychain. "Yeah, that's it. One down, three to go."

Over the next few minutes, Authors came and went--mostly to get showers. Phoenix was absorbed in her book.

"Hey, Phoenix," Rook said. "Can you come over here a second?" She placed down her book with a sigh, and stood by Rook. "Alright, you said that Unity was a peaceful place, right? Then why are there records of a year of rioting there, when you would have been five?"

"How'd you get into records of Unity's history?" Phoenix asked him. From the looks of it, these were official government records.

"Wandrex is a hacker, but that's beside the point," Rook said. "Over ten thousand people died in the riots. They were protesting the way the government was working, and wanted a big change. They got their change, and it's been peaceful ever since. But you didn't mention anything about something like that."

Phoenix's eyes were looking at somewhere far-off, invisible. "I-I can't," she stuttered.

---

_"Daddy! Daddy, no!"_

_ "Remember, I will always love you."_

_ "DADDY!"_

_

* * *

_

_(1) That's for encouraging him!_

_Dear God it took forever to write this chapter! I kept on getting stuck on the fight. I wrote everything else in about two hours, this morning. So I am tired as heck! *falls of chair, asleep*_

_Wha? What? What happened? Oh, right, chapter. Don't expect those little flashes at the end of the chapters, every chapter. Only at the end of the major sections, and possibly after the fights with the Black Guardians themselves. It'll make sense, believe me._


	6. To the Tips of Paris

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective authors. The heartless belong to Disney. Yes, Disney! Because Disney owns everything original in Kingdom Hearts! Not Squeenix! Got it memorized!_

Paris, France. Normally a beautiful city, filled with all sorts of people. But at the time the Author Fighters visited it, the mood was dim. People scooted through the streets quickly, not stopping to speak with anybody else. The sky remained dark with rain clouds. While the storms that plagued all of North America had yet to reach Paris, it was only a matter of time before they arrived.

A man looked out over the Seine River. He sighed. Normally, he made his money by taking pictures of couples, with the river as the backdrop. But today, nobody was out, and not one person wished for a photograph. He again sighed.

He cocked his head in curiosity. "Hmm?" While they looked to be some distance away from him, he could make out five people, teenagers perhaps, standing together, looked out at the city. Two were dressed normally, but one wore a green cloak, one wore insect-like armor, and the fifth had a wrestling uniform on. He shook his head. He was getting too old for this job. Now he was seeing things! He laughed, and turned back to the river.

In reality, he wasn't seeing things. Rather, he had seen five Author Fighters having a conversation about their next move.

"Where d'you think we'll find that shard?" Iron Mantis asked the others.

Nukid shrugged. He looked up, his eyes tracing the city. "Well, there's one big possibility," he said, pointing at the dominant feature of the skyline.

"The Eiffel Tower, of course," Ranger said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Probably at the tip of it, am I right?" Jean Kazuhiza said.

"That's the way these things usually are," Dawn said. "We'll have to take the lift up as high as we can go, then at least one of us will have to climb by hand the rest of the way to the top. We'd best get going, before it gets too late."

**BGBGBG**

The line to get onto the lift was long as heck. Didn't help when some big guys came along, being loud and annoying. One, who was the biggest and stupidest of the three and thus the leader, bumped into Ranger, who ignored him.

Apparently, the man didn't realize that he was the one who had been moving, and Ranger had been standing perfectly still. "Yo, watch where you're going!" he shouted. Tourists.

"You were the one that bumped into me," Ranger pointed out.

"Wha? What're you talkin' about? You idiot, out in broad daylight with that kinda outfit on! What is it, Halloween?"

"It's the middle of summer, but I digress," Ranger said calmly.

"Huh? Speak English, idiot," the man said. "Are you listening to me, idiot?"

Ranger took in a deep breath. "Call me idiot, one more time, and I doubt you'll live to regret it."

The man got in Ranger's face, the smell of cigarettes and beer on his breath. "I-dee-it!" he said slowly.

"Oh no," Nukid said, slapping his forehead.

"Oh no," Dawn said fearfully.

"Oh yeah," Mantis and Jean said in unison.

Ranger cracked his knuckles

**BGBGBG**

The three men went running away as fast as their legs could carry them. Ranger sighed, and looked at Dawn. "What?"

"You turned that guy into a pretzel," Dawn said bluntly.

"I haven't even done that," Jean added.

"Thanks," Ranger said with a nod.

Ten minutes later, they were still waiting for the lift. "Why don't we just climb up by hand?" Nukid muttered. "It's not like we can't, physically."

"Ain't that the truth," Mantis said with a sigh. He looked up. "Hey, what is that?"

Dawn looked where he was pointing. "I don't see anything."

"It's gone now, but I thought I saw a weird, thing walking around," Mantis said. "There it is again!"

Jean looked. "I don't see it."

"I don't get it, it was right there, but it just vanished," Mantis said, arms crossed over his chest.

"I think you're losing it," Ranger deadpanned. His eyes widened. "Or I need to pay more attention to things." Ranger pulled out his sword, and stabbed through the heartless that had clawed his leg. He whipped it around, slicing apart one that had jumped at him. "Shit! Heartless!"

It was only when Ranger had started to fight that the people had noticed the heartless. They went running in all directions, trying to get away. The Authors could see that many heartless had been hiding among the crowd, but now that the crowd was gone the 100+ heartless could be seen clearly. Ranger drew back the string of his bow. "Twilight Volley!" He released the arrow, which split into ten, managing to destroy a couple heartless.

Dawn focused, and her aura claws and ears appeared. She cut through heartless with the claws, and used her natural strength to easily destroy them. She kicked off a lamppost, and burst through a group of five heartless.

A Large Body slid around on its stomach, trying to hit somebody. Nukid said "Tekkai" and stiffened his muscles. The Large Body hit him, and bounced off him completely. While it was dazed, Nukid dashed up to it, said "Shigan Shottogan!" and pressed both of his pointer fingers into it, going straight through.

Mantis sliced apart the heartless quickly with his pair of kama, making expert strikes. He dragged down a pirate heartless's sword with one of his weapons, and cut off its head with the other.

A folding chair smashed through the heartless, courtesy of Jean. He grabbed one's head. "Mind Blinder!" Despite the fact that heartless technically have no minds, it shrieked in pain, before exploding spectacularly!

"Nice one!" Nukid said. A Neoshadow appeared, and tried to claw him. Nukid ducked out of the way. "Now, I'd like to present you with a great…BOOT TO THE HEAD!!!" He jumped up, and smashed his foot against the Neoshadow's face, sending it flying at Mantis, who disposed of it easily.

A Guard Armor heartless stomped around, with its arms spinning around it. Dawn whistled for her pup, Wolzar, who jumped up and nipped her arm. "Henshin!" she said, and transformed into Kamen Rider Garulu! She drew the sword from her belt, and flew at Guard Armor like the bolts of lighting that came from the storm clouds. She struck at the arms, and quickly destroyed them.

From absolutely nowhere, Jean pulled out a 2x4 covered in barbed wire. He gripped it with both hands, and bashed away with all of his strength. He destroyed Guard Armor's legs, leaving only the torso left (and let's be honest, the torso is rather useless).

Ranger ran at Guard Armor, and slashed three times hard, before holding out his hand. "Twilight Firaga!" he roared, blasting the boss heartless with searing twilight energy at point blank. It flew backwards, crashed against a lamppost, and exploded. Ranger sheathed the Moon Sword, as that was the last of the heartless.

Dawn de-henshined, and said "That wasn't too hard."

"They're heartless, what did you expect?" Mantis pointed out.

A flash of lighting made them jump. However, somebody else shrieked loudly. A wiry man poked his head up from the back of a bench. "Oh! Ze monsters are gone!" he said with a French accent. He looked at each of the authors for a moment. He thought very hard, before snapping his fingers in realization. "Oui! I know you! You are ze heroes from America! Ze Auzor Fighters!"

Ranger nodded. "Do you work here at the Eiffel Tower?"

"Oui! I do!" the man said, jumping up. "I am one of ze curators! `Ow may I be of assistance?"

"We need to get to the top of the tower," Ranger said. "We're looking for something, and think it might be up there."

The curator sighed. "Euh, I am not sure."

"What does 'Euh' mean(1)?" Dawn whispered to Nukid. He shrugged.

"Zat last bolt of lightning took out ze power, you see? Ze lights are out. Ze lifts will not work. Zank goodness we got ze people out," the curator said.

"Is there any way we can take the lifts up?" Ranger said slowly. This man appeared to have a problem with getting off track.

The curator laughed. "I am sorry, but it appears zat de only way you are getting up the tower, is eef you climb."

"That's always a possibility," Nukid pointed out.

"Be my guests, zere is nobody else around to say ozerwise," the curator said, chuckling. "Excuse moi, but, were you serious?"

"Unless you know a better way than that," Ranger said. "Then yes, he was being very serious."

The curator blinked. "I really need to learn to shut up. One of zese days, zis big mouz is going to make me lose my job." He walked away from the authors, muttering curses in French. "Whatever! But if you get caught, don't mention my name!"

"Oui-oui, stupide," Ranger said. That really didn't need a translation. "Like we know your name anyways."

"Or that we will get caught," Mantis added.

* * *

_(1) "Euh" is roughly the French equivalent of "Ah" or "Umm."_

_Do I have any comments on things in the chapter? Um, not really. Writing somebody with a French accent is a very strange experience. Spell-check doesn't like it. Especially replacing the 'th' cluster with 'z'. Zat's annoying, seeing red all over._


	7. Meta Ridley

_Disclaimer: Self-inserts belond to their owners, and Meta Ridley belongs to whoever makes Metroid. The Eiffel Tower belongs to France, and mister mysterious man at the beginning belongs to me._

The Authors climbed up the side of the Eiffel Tower each in their own fashion. Dawn boosted herself from beam to beam with her strength. Mantis used his kama like hooks, to pull himself up. Nukid used the art of Geppou to jump up. Jean and Ranger simply climbed up the edges.

While they were still fairly low, people could see them climbing, and a small crowd gathered, trying to figure out how the Authors were doing it. Many of them cried out at once.

"Hm?" Mantis looked down at the people. "Why can't that be good?"

"Because it never is," Jean replied.

**BGBGBG**

Meanwhile, flying through the sky was what the crowd had exclaimed at. A metallic creature, somewhat like a dragon. His name, was Meta Ridley, an improved version of the original Ridley. Stronger, faster, deadlier. He landed on the tower where the elevator normally let out.

"I was about to skip your turn altogether," said somebody standing near the lift doors, which had been torn out completely. "What took you?"

"Was taking care of some business in my own world," Meta Ridley said. "Speaking of which, when are you gonna pay up? That bounty hunter has been a pain in my ass for too long now, and you said that you'd help me take care of her."

"Patience is a virtue," said the man. "All I need from you is for you to keep these Authors busy for me. The more time they're kept busy searching for those keychain shards, the less time they have to restore the Black Guardians to the light. Send the Authors into Game Over if at all possible."

Meta Ridley laughed. "What? You think these guys are going to beat you? Defeat these things, the Black Guardians? Or are you afraid of that girl you mentioned, forget her name…"

"It's a good thing you do, for if you mentioned that at all, you'd lose all will as merely another heartless in my army." He turned his golden eyes on Meta Ridley. "Do you understand me?"

"Clear as mud," Meta Ridley replied. "Just like your plans."

"You do not need to understand my moves. Just do as you are told," the man said.

"From what I've heard, your 'moves' don't always turn out so well."

"Last time, and this time are two entirely different games. I have learned. That is what a good player does, learn from their mistakes," he said. There was a clinking noise, five thumps, and the distinctive sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath. "And it appears that your opponents have arrived." He turned to the Authors. "You made it up here quite quickly. I am impressed, but not surprised. I wish that I could properly introduce myself, but I must allow Meta Ridley to take his turn, I have stalled long enough. I'll see you at the endgame, Author Fighters." He vanished into a dark portal.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Nukid asked bluntly.

"How should I know?" Meta Ridley replied, and laughed. "But, I digress. Now, I get to crush you." He flew at them, and unleashed a barrage of missiles. He used his advantage of flight to get up high, then dive down, shaking the entire tower on impact.

"Am I the only one with any kind of deja vu here?" Ranger asked(1).

"Probably, but either way, this doesn't like like it's going to be easy," Dawn said.

"When are they ever?" Jean remarked.

**BGBGBG**

Dawn clawed Meta Ridley in the chest again, one of the few weak spots. Jean pulled out a sledgehammer, and bashed in some of the armor plating. He dropped the hammer, and he and Dawn grabbed a wing each and gave Meta Ridley a boost into the air.

Mantis got into position, and gave both Ranger and Nukid a boost into the air. Nukid said "Rankyaku Sen" and fired a straight cut, slicing into Meta Ridley's jaw, and in midair sent Ranger higher. He was surrounded by an aura of twilight energy as he grabbed onto the back of Meta Ridley. In a manner reminiscent of the Primary Lotus, Ranger pulled Meta Ridley down backwards, sending him at the platform, where the other authors had already gotten out of the way.

Meta Ridley crashed against the platform. His parts were a mess, and it looked like he was done. "Shit," he said bluntly, and burst apart.

"Thank God that's over with," Nukid said. There were a few nods of agreement. "And now we can take care of what we came here for."

"You mean, something like this?" Mantis said, holding a piece of shimmering metal shaped like half--the other half--of a heart. "Definitely not from Meta Ridley."

"Whoever that guy was, he must have given it to Meta Ridley for safe-keeping," Jean figured. "Or not so safe, as it is."

"Who was that anyways? Wasn't that a Dark portal, only used by beings of darkness?" Dawn said. "Unless that was a human-form nobody."

"Or somebody so tainted by darkness, that it wouldn't matter if they used the Corridors of Darkness," Nukid pointed out. "Either way, it can't be good." Thank you, Captain Obvious.

**BGBGBG**

A string of some of the foulest cuss words came from the engine room. Ranger came out of it, resisting the urge to bash his tool against the wall. "I don't know who it was, but somebody tried to fix my ship with rubber bands and paperclips!"

"The Stu Pickles treatment!" Loony exclaimed(2). Ranger glared at him.

"That really doesn't help right now," he said.

"You know what would help?" Loony said. He continued without stopping. "A breath of fresh air, relaxing a little, y'know?"

Without looking up from her book, Phoenix said "Hit him three times and even Buddha will decide how you die."

"What's to decide?" Loony asked. "He could just stab me."

A vein pulsed in Ranger's forehead. "That's the third one," Phoenix said sadly.

"SUFFOCATION!!!" Loony struggled to get a breath while Ranger's hands were around his neck(3).

Phoenix sighed, and looked up from her book. Her heart skipped a beat.

---

_All attempts to draw in oxygen were fruitless, it was too difficult._

_"Idiot girl. Thinking that you could possibly hope to save your friend. Well, who's going to save you?"_

_

* * *

_

(1) In another fic, "DarkMagicianmon and the Darkside Knight," I had Ranger as the ghost of a knight that killed the original Ridley.

(2) I can't believe I remember that from the Rugrats movie!

(3) No Fictorian Ninjas were harmed in the making of this chapter.

Yes, I know, this one is a little short. Sorry about that.

And also, if you've been paying any attention at all, then you'll know who the mysterious guy was that was talking to Meta Ridley. If you don't know who that was, then hit yourself with a rubber chicken.

The guy (coughcoughOmegacough) is voiced by Kirk Thornton, who voices Saix in Kingdom Hearts II.


	8. The Desert Outside Cairo

_Disclaimer: I own everything! Except for the self-inserts, Egypt, Hellboy, and the Amanda Show. So, I own the plot._

Six sets of footprints led through the sand. One pair was fairly flat, with slight ripples, like ninja sandals. One was most likely boots. Two were plain sneakers. And the last two…didn't appear to be human. Which they weren't. For that matter, they weren't even of this planet. One set was three-toed claw. And the other was a four-toed back paw, like a tiger.

These footprints belonged to six Author Fighters, Lunatic the 121st, Chef Colette Wildrook, The Angelic Soldier, Dimensiondude, and Xemnas1992.

Loony was grumbling to himself. "Why'd I get recruited to go to Egypt again? I hated it the first time. Stupid dragon mummy." He looked over at Xem. "Shouldn't you be worse off? With the fur?"

Xem shrugged. "Guess I'm used to the heat."

Rook was dragging himself along the ground. "Need. Water! Three days without food!" he said dramatically.

"We've been out here for about fifteen minutes," Colette said pointedly.

D-Dude sighed. _This is what I get for volunteering to come with the two most insane guys in the Author Fighters,_ he thought. "Let's just find the third keychain shard, then you guys can get back to the air conditioning."

Rook stood up, but kept dragged his feet through the sand.(1) "Hey Loony, knock, knock." D-Dude slapped his forehead, and muttered something under his breath.

"Who's there?"

"Lamp shade."

"Lamp shade who?"

"I'm gonna hit you in the head with a lamp shade!"

"What?" Loony asked. Rook pulled out a lamp shade from nowhere, and hit Loony in the head with it.

"Hey you two, knock, knock," Soldier said.

"Who's there?" they asked in unison.

"Twenty foot tall obelisk," he said with a straight face.

Loony and Rook glanced at each other. "Twenty foot tall obelisk who?"

"Stop walking before you run into the twenty foot tall obelisk," he replied.

They sighed in relief that they weren't going to get hit with a twenty foot tall obelisk, and promptly ran into it. The obelisk, that is.

It was twenty feet tall, just as Soldier had said, and made out of some kind of black stone. Carved into the front of it were inscriptions, perhaps some kind of hieroglyphics. D-Dude cocked his head in curiosity. "That's strange."

"What is it?" Xem asked.

"Two things, actually," D-Dude said. "First of all, Egyptian obelisks were made of red granite for the most part." He scratched the obelisk with a claw. "From the looks of it, this is black slate. Second, this is far too small. Normally, they would be somewhere around fifty feet tall, if not even taller than that." He looked up to the top of it, then looked over at Soldier. "Any chance you could take at look at it?"

Soldier nodded, and he stretched out his wings. He flew to the top of the obelisk, and his eyes widened as he looked at it. "I think somebody was expecting us!" he shouted down. "There's three letters on here in English. F, A, F."

"How did a bunch of ancient Egyptians know about the Author Fighters?" Loony asked nobody so much as himself.

"Then there's a picture here, looks like a crescent moon," the angel said. "The rest of it is hieroglyphics." From a pocket, Soldier pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and drew the first line of glyphs on the paper. He descended back to the ground and showed it to D-Dude.

He hurrumphed(2). "Even if I had my library, it would probably take me a few hours to translate it," the Dragonsaur said.

"What about Hellboy?" Loony said. "Doesn't he know lots of old languages?"

D-Dude nodded quickly, and started retching. From the sac in his throat, D-Dude produced one of his summon charms. "Hellboy!"

In a flash of light, Hellboy appeared. "What is it?"

"Can you translate Egyptian hieroglyphics?" Rook asked, and D-Dude showed him the sheet of paper.

"In my sleep," Hellboy replied. He glanced at the paper. "Let's see. '_The Oracle speaks, and tells the fate of all_.'"

Soldier flew back to the top of the obelisk, and started copying down more hieroglyphics. "You've got to be kidding me," Hellboy grunted. "This is going to take forever."

Colette snapped her fingers. "I've got an idea!" she said, and cast a spell. Fire traced its way up the obelisk, taking the shape of the letters. With a gesture, the fire came from the stone, and stayed in shape. The glyphs shrunk, and hovered in front of Hellboy.

"That's more like it," he said, looking at the glyphs.

" _'The Oracle speaks, and tells the fate of all./The sands of time shall pass, and the hourglass shall run out./Upon the year of two millenniums, and years nine/the seventh month, the seventh day/chaos shall take this world and wreak havoc/guardians tainted by darkness will rise/heroes shall rise to fight them/In the end, many fates are determined./The world's, the many worlds, and one person._'" Hellboy took a puff of his cigar. "It's a prophecy, course."

D-Dude thought about this. "Any of you guys remember when the storms first started?"

"The 7th was when they really started to get bad," Xem replied. He was writing down what the prophecy had said from memory. "And that's when this was supposed to start. July 7th, 2009."

D-Dude nodded. "Thanks for the help, Hellboy." Hellboy vanished in a flash of light.

"So, there's a prophecy about this thing we're doing," Rook said. "Are we that predictable?"

"Fate isn't necessarily set in stone," Colette said. "No pun intended. This prophecy could be just one of many possible paths, right?"

"And then sometimes a prophecy is fulfilled because the prophecy was made in the first place," D-Dude added.

"You lost me," Loony said.

Colette chose to explain it to him. "Say somebody knew about this prophecy, and thought that it was unavoidable, it was destined from the beginning of time to happen. That person would take actions to ensure that it would happen. If this prophecy hadn't been made--" he pointed to the obelisk "--then for all we know, none of this would be happening, and we'd be sitting back at the HQ."

Loony nodded slowly. "I'll take your word for it," he said. He glanced over at Xem, who was examining the obelisk carefully. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Xem asked. "I'm looking at this thing. Who wants to bet that there'll be something here, a switch or whatever, that'll help us?" He ran his paw over a raised portion, shaped like an arrow. He pressed it in, and there was a loud grinding noise. "Might want to stand back," he said, backing further away himself.

The sand in front of the obelisk shook, and a space about a foot square lowered itself into the ground. Next to it, another space lowered a little deeper. This happened a few more times, creating a spiral staircase around the obelisk.

"Wow, those ancient Egyptians must have had some really good engineers," Rook said in amazement. He looked over at Colette. "Ladies first."

"Haven't you ever heard of being a gentleman?" she said indignantly. "And for the most part, a gentleman will be the first to go down the staircase under the Egyptian desert."

"I'll go first," D-Dude said, going past both of them and started heading down the steps. Soldier was the first to follow him, followed by Loony, Xem, Colette, and Rook bringing up the rear.

The stairs went down for fifty feet at least, with Loony complaining every step of the way. "Are we there yet?"

"No," Colette replied.

A few steps later: "Are we there now?"

"Uh-uh," Xem said.

"Are we there yet?"

"No!" D-Dude snapped.

"For the love of God, when are we going to be there!" Loony whined.

"That'd be now," Soldier pointed out.

Loony looked over at him, then in front of himself, and stopped just before he slipped off the edge of the enormous underground crevice. He looked out over the edge. All sorts of walkways were hooked to the walls. D-Dude let out a low whistle, an amazing feat considering he didn't have lips.

Next to him, Rook picked up a pebble, and threw it out. It fell for a long while, before they heard a slight 'plink' at the bottom. "Oh boy."

* * *

_(1) Now it's time for a Hillbilly Moment!_

_(2) I don't know exactly how to describe this sound. It's a grunt of some sort, more than "humph."_

_I really hope I got Hellboy right in this. That's the only thing I'm worried about really in this chapter. And by the way... Loony + Rook = a never-ending supply of humor *grins*_


	9. Beneath the Desert

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, and Phoenix. Don't own the song "Hallelujah" but I like it, so I made it my ring tone. Let us push onwards!_

The Authors slowly descended through the cavern, and occasionally somebody in their group who had fire abilities would send a burst of fire out to light the way--safely away from the walkway of course. The darkness was never completely pierced, and after a while it was impossible to tell whether they were ten feet or ten stories from the bottom.

Another gap in the walkway came, and Soldier ferried each author across the missing portion. This was the fifth one, and it was really starting to unnerve some of them. Or at least one of them.

"Please don't make him lose his grip," Loony prayed, as Soldier carried him across. Soldier rolled his eyes, and deposited him on the other side of the walkway with D-Dude, who had glided across. The Dragonsaur took a deep breath, and breathed out a fireball into the center of the crevice. It slowly descended, and just before it flickered out, he could see something metallic become illuminated by the flame.

"I think we're close to the bottom!" he exclaimed, and started heading down ahead of the others.

D-Dude was right about being close to the bottom, the others found out when they caught up to him. However, the "bottom" where they were wasn't the real bottom. That is, they were on a wooden platform whose edges were five feet from the sides of the cavern. Then about twenty feet below them was the true bottom, with plenty of stalagmites coming up to spear anybody who was unlucky enough to fall down there. The metal that D-Dude had seen was a golden idol, set above a opening about fifteen feet above them in the opposite wall.

Rook was counting down on his fingers. "Three, two, one." There was a cracking sound, and suddenly the platform wasn't quite as stable as it had been a few seconds before.

"Get to the center!" Colette shouted, and they rushed to get to the middle of the platform. The platform stabilized for the most part, giving them a moment to think.

"Alright, I think I can carry everybody up to that opening," Soldier said. With her permission, he picked up Colette and carried her up to the doorway easily.

Above the doorway, the idol's ruby eyes glowed, and when Soldier went to fly back out, he was knocked back by an invisible field.

"So you can go in, but you can't come out that way. Whoever built this wanted to make sure that you couldn't get past easily by just flying," D-Dude realized. "This is all about distributing weight."

From above, Colette shouted out "Hey, there's a rope ladder up here!" and let it out, keeping the other end tied.

"Right," Xem said. "Now we have another seven feet to get up there."

D-Dude nodded. "And I know how to get up there. Xem, Rook, Loony, when I tell you to, run to that end of the platform--" he pointed to the far end of the platform "--while I got to that end, and get up the ladder. When I jump off, you need to restabilize it."

When they were in position, D-Dude shouted "Now!" and ran toward the doorway while they other three went the other way. Like a balance, the lighter end raised up, and D-Dude managed to scramble up the ladder awkwardly.

They did it again, with Rook going up the ladder, leaving Loony and Xem. Once more they went, and with a little adjusting, Xem went up, leaving Loony by himself.

"Now what?" he called up to them.

"That is an excellent question," D-Dude said, avoiding the question for the moment.

"If you have to leave me behind, please come back for me," the Fictorian Ninja said.

Soldier called over to them "Move it! Loony, get ready to jump over this thing!" He was rolling a giant golden idol across the ground. "Saw it and wondered what it was for, now we know." He pushed the idol over the edge, and it worked in the same fashion as before. Loony jumped over the idol, and managed to get up the ladder. The platform was destroyed behind them.

"I really hope that wasn't the only way out," Rook said, looking out at the stalagmites.

"Why would it matter? The barrier stops us from going that way anyways," Colette pointed out. "Let's get going."

**BGBGBG**

The path was very straight-forward beyond that little moment with the platform. Occasionally some kind of puzzle, but they were very easy to solve.

"How long have we been down here?" Loony asked.

"About three hours," Soldier replied.

He sighed. "Are we there--" he started, and was cut off by D-Dude hitting him with his tail. "What?!"

"Mosquito," he said simply. Loony said nothing in response.

Rook had been silent, and suddenly stopped.

_Inside Rook's mind…_

"Hold on to your underwear!" Numbah 2 shouted, laughing like a loon.

_Outside Rook's mind…_

"That's can't be good," Rook said, and suddenly the floor opened up beneath the Author Fighters, sending them speeding down a slick chute.

After getting over the original shock of it, they were laughing and enjoying the ride, before the chute bottomed-out, and they were dropped into clear water, probably an intentional offshoot of an underground river.

Loony, his hair still sticking up, laughed. "That was awesome." He swam to the edge, and pulled himself out of the water. "You planning on getting out anytime soon, Xem?"

The Roswellian was enjoying the warm water, swimming a backstroke. "Only way this could be better is if there were fish in the water." He sighed, and got out of the water as well.

"Hey guys, over here!" Colette said, gesturing for them to follow her down a passageway. The boys followed her down the hallway, which was far less of a mess than the other passage, before they took the slide. The walls and ceiling were clearly defined, and there was enough room that they didn't have to go single file. They had to go up several sets of stairs, probably enough that they were taken up somewhere around thirty floors, but not all at once, at least.

Finally, it opened up, and a few of them gasped. The room wasn't very big, but laid into the walls were many beautiful gemstones, reflecting the light from the torches, clearly lit with magical fire, as the flames were pure white.

In the middle of the room was a pedestal, about waist level, and hovering a foot above the top was a gemstone, that looked to be completely black. It was shaped like a diamond. It gave off an aura of magic, very old and powerful magical. It was exactly what they were looking for.

"Who wants to bet something happens when somebody takes it?" Rook asked needlessly.

Since nobody else was volunteering, Loony stepped up, and took the shard carefully between two fingers. He pulled it away from atop the pedestal, and met no resistance. The torches didn't flare up, and no huge stone ball came rolling down to crush them. No sand started pouring into the room.

There was a rumbling sound, and a bit of a scraping noise was heard. "I think we're going up," Rook realized. "It's an elevator!"

"If there's one thing I know," D-Dude said. "Then it's that the chance that this was made by solely Ancient Egyptians is about none."

The elevator sped up over time, taking them the rest of the way to the surface.

**BGBGBG**

Soon after the six had returned to everybody else, the Author Fighters were on their way to their final location.

_Somehow everything's gonna fall right into place._ Phoenix grabbed her phone from her pocket. "It's from…" She trailed off.

"From who?" Hikari asked.

"McKenzie," Phoenix said, smiling. "She's one of my friends! From Unity!" She flipped her phone open, and hit the talk button.

_"Phoenix!" McKenzie said. "Can't believe I finally got in contact with you! I was starting to think you were dead!"_

"Well, I'm here," Phoenix said.

"_Where is here?"_

"Well, right now…somewhere over Europe. I think we just passed Germany," Phoenix said, looking out the window. "Oh, there's goes Luxembourg."

"_So you're on one of the Earths. Which one?_"

"The one with the Author Fighters," Phoenix said.

"_Did you get to meet any of them?_"

"Meet them, I'm one of them!" Phoenix exclaimed.

"_HOLY SHIT!!!_" McKenzie said so loudly the others could hear her, without the speaker even being on. "_YOU'RE AN AUTHOR!!! Quick, turn on the speaker!_" Phoenix hit a button, and everybody could hear McKenzie even better then.

"_Nukid! Are you there?_"

"Yeah," Nukid said tentatively.

"_I wanted to say that I think you're so hot that Axel is jealous of you! Will you go out with me?_"

"No, he will not," Phoenix said. "Goodbye, Kenzie."

McKenzie sighed, and it sounded like static over the phone. "_Fine. Just don't isolate yourself from me again. We're friends, right?_ _So don't shut yourself away!_"

Phoenix hesitated. "Alright. Talk to you later." She shut the phone. "I'm sorry about that, Nukid. She's a crazed fangirl. The Author Fighters…I wouldn't say they're famous, but they're fairly well-known in at least where I lived." She sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes.

-----

"_We're friends, right?" He nodded slowly. "Then, there's something I need to show you." She started to pull the glove off of her right hand._

_

* * *

_

_And yet another chapter, and another section done! I was going to say that you shouldn't expect many more updates for the rest of September (I have tennis almost every day) but I found that if I listen to music, it helps me focus more than silence. So considering I don't put it off, I should be able to do at least one if not two more chapters in September, thus getting through Moscow. Yay for that._

_And by the way, that girl, McKenzie? That's the name of my actual best friend, in real life. Though she's not that kind of fangirl. And she doesn't want to date Nukid. She doesn't read fan fiction. At all. She just draws fanart occasionally. And not very often. And it's usually for things like Disney shows, or maybe an anime. Yeah..._


	10. The Twelfth Day

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners, Ozzy belongs to Roscoso, and the Moscow Metro belongs to...the Russian Government? I think? Yeah, that._

**Chapter 10: The Twelfth Day**

In the Moscow Metro system, the tunnels were quiet. While normally very busy, this subway system under the capital of Russia was abandoned. For the moment, at least.

In one of the halls, a portal of light opened up…in the ceiling. Five Author Fighters dropped from the portal, all of them yelping in surprise. They landed in a dog pile on the brick ground, and the portal closed.

Four pairs of eyes, belonging to Roscoso, DJ, Kitten, and Agent Liberi glared at the girl on the top of the pile. Phoenix made a look that basically said "Who, me?" She sighed. "Right. Sorry."

"I'm never letting you transport me through a light portal ever again," Ross said. "No offense."

"None taken."

"Great," Liberi grunted from the bottom of the pile. "Can you maybe, I don't know, move? I can barely breathe." Each of them stood up, and caught their breath.

Phoenix summoned her keyblade. "Hm. Still can't get these portals right. Gotta work on that. At least we're in the right spot."(1) She dismissed it.

"Yeah, what a relief," Liberi said sarcastically.

They set off through the tunnels, with the tracer in Ross's hands. Despite the abandonment of the stations, there was no sign of any destruction (though that was quite likely to change soon with the Author Fighters around). No reason for the lack of people. It was very cold, and in some places the ground was wet from rainwater flowing in. The lights consistently flickered. Needless to say, it was quite unnerving.

DJ muttered a spell under his breath, and his eyes glowed brighter than usual. He looked around, his eyesight having been enhanced in a way similar to the Byakugan, except without looking out the back of his head. "We're the only people around here. It's empty, everywhere."

"This is unnatural," Liberi said. "The Moscow Metro is the second busiest subway system on the planet. You would think that there'd by at least a few people."

"They're afraid," Kitten said. "Can't you feel it? There's darkness in the air. People are naturally afraid of darkness. It's human nature."

"Most human's nature, at least," Phoenix corrected. "Some of us aren't so much afraid of the darkness, as what lies in that darkness. Or maybe not the darkness of others but the darkness in ourselves. All of our pain, our sorrow, guilt. Hate."

There was silence for a moment. Then: "That was deep," Ross said, and a few of them laughed.

"Hey, I can be very deep sometimes," Phoenix said, grinning. "Just ask any of my friends. Every once in a while, I'll spout some kind of metaphor that would make Shakespeare proud."

"And other times you'll talking to somebody, unable to find your cell phone, only for them to point out that you're talking to them over the phone," Liberi added.

"That only happened once!" Phoenix protested.

"Noise," Ross said.

"I don't hear anything," DJ said.

"No, with a capital 'N', Noise," Ross corrected. Nobody reacted beyond a couple blinks of confusion. Ross groaned. "Bad things that try to kill you!" he exclaimed, trying to be as blunt as possible.

Something black, resembling a wolf, ran past them, and stuck its muzzle into one of Phoenix's pockets for less than a second before running away. She dug around in her pocket, and a vein pulsed in her forehead. "It stole one of my Summon Charms!"

More Noise appeared, many resembling real animals but in unnatural colors, or with their tails or wings having the appearance of being digitalized. Ross henshined into Kamen Rider Kiva, DJ's scythe appeared, Phoenix called up her keyblade, Kitten created a spear of ice, and Liberi drew one of his guns.

DJ swung his scythe through a couple of frog-like Noise, and cast a fire spell, sending a wolf at Kitten, who stabbed it through the center. Phoenix went after the black wolf that had stolen her summon charm, and as it charged at her, she raised her keyblade, causing it to jump onto the tip. It burst apart, and she scooped up her charm, shaped like an hourglass.

Ross easily got some of the weaker noise with base Kiva form, but the stronger and faster ones posed a slight problem. He grabbed a whistle from his belt, and placed it into his belt. "Bashaa Magnum!" Kivat whistled. Ross snatched the Bashaa Magnum out of the air, and entered Bashaa form. He blasted Noise with high-pressure water bullets, shooting with high accuracy.

However, none of them could really keep up with Liberi, who had gotten further away, and was using his sniper rifle to destroy a Noise with each shot. Even with the speed of the Noise, he was taking them down with a headshot for each one.

Kitten threw her ice spear, then sent a few blasts of ice around her. She created a sword of ice, and cut through Noise. A giant one that looked like a bear roared in fury. Ross went from Bashaa to Garulu form, and both of them charged at the Noise, swords in hand. Kitten slid underneath it, while Ross went overhead, cutting at it from both ends. It exploded apart.

DJ swung his scythe fluidly, always attacking whatever was closest to him so he didn't end up leaving himself open to be punished for a missed strike. He cast a barrier spell, that kept a group of ten Noise together. "Liberi!" Liberi drew his shotgun, and fired it into the group of Noise, obliterating them.

Phoenix cupped her hands together, leaving a little space between her fingers. She focused her gravity control onto a single atom. A slight disruptions appeared between her hands, and she smiled in triumph. She pushed it out just slight beyond herself, and decreased the amount of gravity holding the Noise down, at the same time increasing the gravity that held down herself and the others. The Noise were quickly pulled down together into that small space, now about two feet square, and Phoenix summoned her keyblade and sliced through it, destroying the Noise completely. She released the gravity control completely, and looked at her gauntlet. "Shoot." That thing had sucked up a full orb of the four in her gauntlet.

"Never doing that again," Phoenix said, breathing deeply from exhaustion. "Wastes power. Since it usually takes about ten wall-collapsing gravity slams to empty an orb usually, it's just not worth it." DJ cast a healing spell on her, and she nodded in appreciation. "We should keep on going."

The headed down the passageway, and were walking by a station when Liberi stopped. "Do you hear that?" he said. "Rumbling. There's a subway train coming this way."

"How's that possible?" Ross asked, and for good reason. While they had been fighting the Noise, the power had gone out completely. They were currently seeing everything by a flame perched atop DJ's scythe.

A train came by the station, and slowed down, coming to a stop. A door opened, and from the train stepped none other than the traitorous Darkside, Ozzy.

"Ozzy," Ross said. "What're you doing here? How'd you get the train working?"

"As for the second question, I don't think you want to know. As for the first one, I found out that the Author Fighters were trying to take on this darkness that's been spreading across the globe," Ozzy said. "And I thought I'd give you a warning. The guy that's behind this could very well be beyond Drake and Shade."

"It actually depends on the situation," Phoenix interrupted. "Omega thrives on fear, distress. You can gauge his power by the strength of the storms. Give it a few days, and neither Drake nor Shade, or even all of the Author Fighters combined, would stand a chance against him."

"You've met him?" Ozzy asked.

"Unfortunately," Phoenix replied flatly.

"Right," Ozzy said. "Moving on. He's something else. A different sort of power than a Darkside. He took control of the Guardians by infecting them with his malevolence. He's not human. He's lost his mind almost completely. There is no sense left in that guy's mind."

"How do you know this?" Kitten asked him.

Ozzy took a deep breath. "Got it straight from the source. And I gathered that he has two goals in mind. Destroy 'them.' I can only figure that the 'them' is the Author Fighters. Then the other one, I can't quite figure out, is make 'her' wish she was never born."

Phoenix's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you, Ozzy. We'll keep that in mind."

He nodded. "Just, be careful." Ozzy returned to the subway train, and it headed off again to an unknown destination.

"We need to keep going," Phoenix said. While they couldn't tell, she was trying to hold down panic.

For you see, this was the nineteenth of July. The twelfth day since Omega had arrived in their world. They had two more days to restore the key, or all would be for nothing. The end of this world, and with that power obtained, Omega would continue on to easily destroy the rest. And nobody would be able to stop him.

* * *

_(1) Light portals, a nifty little ability of mine that I have yet to really figure out yet. I end up in the right place, but usually I end up coming in from an odd angle. Such as, for instance, upside down. Need my keyblade to do it, so if I'm in an environment where I can't summon it, no go._

_I'm really starting to scare myself with some of my descriptions of Omega. Though I will be honest, the idea of him infecting the Guardians with his malevolence was kinda borrowed from how Shuyin possessed the Aeons in Final Fantasy X-2, except on a much larger scale. It's through possessing the Guardians, and changing them into the Black Guardians, that he gains most of his power in this. But I'm still scaring myself. DX_


	11. Truth

**Chapter 11: Truth**

"I can see my breath," DJ said, surprised. He shivered, now noticing how could it had gotten, so quickly. "It's the middle of summer! It doesn't even matter how far north Russia is, when we came here it was at almost seventy degrees out!"

Liberi checked the readings his suit took, and his eyes widened beneath his helmet. "It's now forty-three degrees out, and dropping fast. Forty-one, forty. It's dropped 34 degrees in a half an hour."

"Somebody get the world record committee," Ross said in amazement.

"Thirty-eight, it's starting to slow," Liberi said. He kept an eye on the temperature reading, and in ten minutes, it had stopped. 31 degrees Fahrenheit, precisely. It had dropped 43 degrees in less than an hour.(1)

"Holy crap," Kitten said. "That's crazy! How is that even possible?"

"Magic, crazed Articuno, global warming, take your pick," Phoenix said. "Though I'm going with magic on this one." She folded her arms in front of her chest. "Now's one of those times I wish I had gone with a trench coat instead of a duster. I hate the cold!"

"At least you have a coat of some sort," Kitten said, who was wearing her regular Japanese Schoolgirl outfit. While it might have looked cute, it was not meant for very cold temperatures.

"This thing? It's useless against the cold," Phoenix said. "I got it lightsaber-proofed ever since PROXY started attacking me at random, but the stuff conducts heat. No insulation."

"Can we play 'Who's Worse Off in the Cold' later?" DJ snapped.

"Sorry," Phoenix said. "Ross, still got a fix on the shard?"

He started to nod, but stopped in mid-movement. "Wait a second. According to this, it's about ten feet that way." He pointed to his right, directly at a wall. "And there's no path that way."

DJ walked over to the wall, and put his ear against the stone. He tapped a few times against the wall. "I think that it's hollow." He raised his hand up, and an explosion rocked the ground around them, blasting the wall down. "If you don't have a path, make one!" He ran down the corridor, without waiting for the others. "I found it!" He came running back out, a small chain of some sort in his hand.

The links weren't very big, only a centimeter wide at the biggest. It was only about six inches long. On one end was a golden ring, the bit meant to be touched to the keyblade base, so it could then transform. The rest of the links looked like pure silver.

Phoenix took it from DJ, and smiled. "This is it. The final shard. We need to get back to the others, I left the other shards on the ship." She pocketed it.

Unbeknownst to our heroes, DJ picking up the small chain had caused a chain reaction (no pun intended), eliminating a magical shield of sorts around the area of Moscow they were in. The lack of this barrier allowed ten creatures, if they could even be called that, in the direction of the biggest amount of positive emotions in the area. Which happened to be coming from the Author Fighters at that moment. These creatures? Only one of the worst kinds of beings in the Wizard World.

Dementors.

If at all possible, the temperature dropped another five degrees. The walls and floor became slick with ice. And the entire atmosphere of the room changed. Not fear, necessarily. But emptiness. Depression. Like you'd never feel happy again.

The five Author Fighters felt it, and went back-to-back unconsciously. Liberi was first to see one swoop into the hall. "What the fu--" He was cut off, and groaned as the Dementor swooped by him, inhaling any good emotions he might have, leaving behind the bad.

Another two flew into the hall, and Liberi shot at them, but the bullets passed through harmlessly. "Won't work, only a Patronus works on them," Ross said, shaking his head. "Deej?"

DJ was shaking too hard to respond, let alone do a Patronus Charm. Ross gulped, and went with the next best choice. With all hope, he'd be able to do it.

**BGBGBG**

In Ranger's ship, the _Phoenix,_ the rest of the Author Fighters waited. Rook watched Airnaruto act something out in mild interest.

"NIAGRA FALLS!" Airnar exclaimed, facing away from Rook. "Slowly I turned, inch by inch, step by step--" He slowly turned towards Rook. "When I felt his hot breath on my cheek, I let him have it!" He jumped Rook and started clobbering him like a possessed man.

Hikari sighed, but didn't try to stop Air. She suddenly stiffened, as a voice from somewhere between her ears broke through her thoughts.

_Kari! Dementors! In the Metro!_ shouted Ross's psychic voice.

Hikari jumped up, and starting searching through her pockets. She pulled out the Silver Life Aura that Ross had entrusted her with. She clutched it in her hands. "Chaos, Control!" In a burst of light, Hikari was warped away.

**BGBGBG**

Ten Dementors in all, going after every positive emotion in the bodies of Ross, Liberi, Kitten, DJ, and Phoenix.

Hikari ran across the ground, being as careful as possible to not slip on the ice. When she was close enough, she drew out a wand from her sleeve, and focused her mind on the memory of the day that she met DarkMagicianmon. "Expecto Patronum!" she cried. From the tip of her wand erupted a silvery figure. Her Patronus, unique in shape, looked like a fox, with the wings of a phoenix.

It leapt through the air, chasing down the Dementors, and Hikari cast the spell again. This one ran around her fellow Authors, to keep the Dementors away from them. In a minute, the first Patronus had chased away the Dementors.

"Thank you," Ross said weakly. The others nodded in agreement.

Hikari took out her Life Aura again. "Let's get back to the others. Chaos, Control!" And the six of them were warped away.

**BGBGBG**

"Would have been nice if you had mentioned Omega could control Dementors," Kitten muttered, munching on a bit of chocolate. Apparently, the feel-good feeling it gave you could help after a Dementor encounter.

Phoenix sighed. "The only person who could ever control the Dementors was Voldemort. Omega must have just lured them there. Or something like that." She had finished her own chocolate ten minutes earlier. With her few happy memories pushed to the back of her mind, the bad were more prominent than usual. She clenched her fist tightly.

"_Please! You can't let yourself give up!"_

"_Sorry, Phoenix. He's winning. Run!"_

"_I promise, I'll fight him! I won't stop going after him, until I find him, and beat him!"_

Kitten shook her shoulder. "Phoenix, snap out of it!"

"Hm?" the keybearer said, blinking. She swallowed, holding back tears. She looked at her gauntlet. _I think…it's time. I need to tell them the truth. About me, about Omega. Now, before it's too late._ She looked up. "Hikari?"

The Balance had remained with them. "Yes, Phoenix-san?"

"Could you get everybody to come to the Bridge, please? I'd really appreciate it," Phoenix said.

"No trouble at all. It'll just take a minute." Hikari stood up and dashed off to inform everybody.

**BGBGBG**

Phoenix took a deep breath. Each Author Fighter was sitting, waiting expectantly for her to begin. "First thing I have to tell you guys. I don't remember all of my past myself. From my fifth birthday on, it's only flashes. There's a month, in some places, where I remember nothing. Then there's four months of full memories. But the biggest chunk I have, is that of about ten months. From the day I left Unity, to now. The biggest gap is a full year, from about my fifth birthday, to my sixth."

"So, you know for sure back to the day that you left Unity. What happened that day?" X Prodigy asked. "What made you leave your home?"

"I can't start the story from there. I have to start my story from where all stories start," she said. "The beginning. The day before my fifth birthday, which I remember very well for when it was.

"There are two major people in my life who affected what I am now. The first one is my father, Mark Silver, also known as Marcus of the Darkness. The second person is my best friend, Griffin. He's the one who gave me this gauntlet. For a good reason." Phoenix looked up. "We're friends, right?" She felt a pang in her heart as she echoed her own words from years long passed.

A few of them nodded, or said "Of course" or "You bet" in response.

"Then there's something I need to show you." She pulled back the sleeve of her duster, and undid the clasps on her gauntlet. She slipped it off of her hand, at first only showing the back of it. They could see a thin bracelet around her wrist, loose enough that it didn't cut off her circulation but tight enough that it fit easily under her gauntlet.

Phoenix turned over her hand, and a few gasped. Running down the inside of her forearm, where the gauntlet covered, were long white scars. Three down her arm, and one crossing them at a jagged angle. "Four marks. A bracelet with two beads. And a gauntlet. The last two are my most treasured possessions, and the first is important all the same." She stared intently at the marks. "This is my story."

* * *

_(1) For our British friends, it started at about 23 degrees celsius, and went down to negative point five degrees._

_And here we are, the moment many of you have been waiting for...that's going to show up the next chapter! And not even completely there. It'll be two chapters probably for the flash-back. This chapter, I really liked writing, for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm all that closer to the Black Guardian fights? Or maybe it's because I'm going to be writing down something soon that I've had in my head for about four months now ^_^_


	12. Turn Back the Clock: Dad

_Disclaimer: I own myself, and the characters that represent my parents. I do not own DarkGuitarGoddess. That's my sister. I own the plot!_

**Chapter 12: Turn Back the Clock: Dad**

_May 15__th__, 2000: One Day Before my Fifth Birthday_

Laughter rang through the house. A young girl, wearing a bright blue shirt and little shorts, ran across the bare wood. There was a shining light in her green eyes that she lacked later in her life. The great innocence of childhood.

The young Phoenix of the Darkness was running from her little sister, who had just learned to walk (make that run). Her little sister's name was DarkGuitarGoddess (Goddess for short). Goddess wasn't having much luck in keeping up with her sister.

A tall man stepped into the doorway, and scooped up Phoenix and Goddess in his arms. "Gotcha!" their father said, laughing deeply. Goddess squirmed a little as he placed her down in her bed, but the two-and-a-half year old girl sighed in defeat, and fell asleep quickly.

"How about we go outside for a bit?" Marcus suggested, carrying Phoenix out to the porch. He sighed as he bounced her on his knee. "You're growing up fast. Seemed like just yesterday I was changing your diaper. Now you're running around the house with your little sister." He looked out at the sunset, sighing.

Phoenix looked out in the same direction. She narrowed her eyes in thought. "Daddy? Why is the sky blue in the day, but red right now?"

"Because red light reaches farther than blue," he answered.

"Why is the grass green?"

"Because that's how they make food."

"Why is the tree bark brown?"

"Because." To tell the truth, he really didn't know that one.

"Why is your hair black?"

"Because that's how I was born."

Phoenix smiled in wonder at the idea that her daddy was a baby once. She continued with her questions, pestering him repeatedly. But he answered the questions gladly, used to them after having her around for so long. A million questions about all sorts of things, from whether there was God, to why cookies spread out from the balls of dough when the were baked.

"What happens when people die?" she asked suddenly.

"Good people go to heaven, bad people go the other way. Down there," he said grimly.

Phoenix looked down at the ground. "You mean…the netherworld?"(1)

He sighed. "No. Not the netherworld. Hell."

"Are you a good person, or a bad person?"

"Why would you ask a question like that?" he said, without really answering the question at all. Phoenix was silent for a minute.

She looked back at him. "Why are people whispering?"

It was now Marcus's turn to narrow his eyes. "Whispering?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "When I was walking home from kindergarten yesterday, some adults were whispering. I thought I heard something about the king. Is the king sick?"

Marcus sighed. "Maybe. Or maybe not."

"What?"

"Not all has been well in Unity," Marcus said. "There has been much unrest."

"What's 'unrest' mean?"

"Not peaceful," he replied. "People haven't been in very good moods. They're fighting with each other. And in this kind of place, fights can have serious repercussions."

"What's repercussions?"

"Consequences. Bad results," he said. "But, you shouldn't be worrying about that. It'll all be okay. All that you need to worry about, is how many presents you'll be getting for your birthday tomorrow." He grinned. "Not that I got you anything. I especially didn't get you a computer all your own. Or a pretty little necklace with an emerald in it."

She smiled brightly. Marcus knew that the chances that she would be have trouble sleeping tonight, with that kind of promise coming in the morning.

Phoenix wasn't worried about the whispers anymore. After all, if her daddy said there was nothing wrong, then nothing was wrong.

_May 16__th__, 2001: My Sixth Birthday_

Phoenix ran across the grass, as fast as she could. Mud covered what was once a beautiful outfit. Scratches covered her legs all over her. Her father stood at the crest of the hill. In his right hand was a weird sword. It looked almost like a giant key. It had a silver shaft that resembled a true sword. From the tip of it was a gavel, at a slant. Hanging from the end was a charm that looked like a scale. Marcus called it "Ragnarok."

He had a serious look on his face, at he looked down at the castle in chaos. He looked back, and a look of alarm crossed his face when he saw Phoenix.

"Daddy! Daddy, no!"

He bent down, and hugged her tightly. "Remember, I will always love you." He released her, and started running. A barrier of magic kept Phoenix from following him.

"DADDY!"

_July 16__th__, 2001: Two Months After the Death of my Father_

A man in a suit sat at the head of the table. Sitting around it was Phoenix, Goddess, their mother (who sat between them), Phoenix's aunt and uncle (her father's brother and sister-in-law), and her paternal grandparents. Despite the fact that it was the middle of July, Phoenix wore a long-sleeved shirt.

The man in the suit cleared his throat. This was the reading of the will, for her father. He said the usual things ("I, Marcus Silver, of sound mind and body…"), then continued. "To my brother, and his wife. I've always loved you, you're my brother after all. However, you get up at six on vacation, and accuse me of sleeping in too long when I get up at nine. So to each of you I give…a boot to the head." The lawyer jumped into the air, and round-house kicked them both in the face, sending them to the ground.

"To my dearest mother and father," he continued. They glanced at each other. "You put clothes on my back, but that's really all you ever did. So I give to you each, a boot to the head." He kicked them both in the face. "And one more for each my brother and his wife." Each of them got another boot to the head.(2)

"And now, to be serious. To my dearest wife, I truly love you and wish I never had to write this. But, everyone eventually loses the fight for life. To you I leave all of my possessions, except for a few that I leave to my daughters.

"To my youngest daughter, Goddess. I leave to you my guitar and amplifier, and my hope that one day your wish will come true, of playing your music for many people." Goddess smiled faintly. Despite how young she was (only about three and a half), she still got that her daddy was gone. She was smart for her age.

"And to my eldest daughter, Phoenix. I leave a small bracelet, that belonged to my mother, and her father before her, and belonged to me. Think of it as a reminder of the beauty in simple things. And I leave to you my legacy. Live for the present. I can only hope that it doesn't happen, but if the day comes where you take up a blade of light, I wish you the greatest luck. To both of my daughters, I only wish I could have seen you grow up into wonderful young women. I love you both.

"I'm still not sure where I am right now, but if I'm in heaven, I'll put in a good word for you, and if I went the other way…well, at least I don't have to worry about getting cold." The lawyer nodded, and replaced the will in the envelope.

Phoenix's eyes were still red from crying. But it had been a long time before this reading of the will that she had run out of tears. The same thing, every day for two months. Crying so much she had no tears left.

And to think, her troubles were only just beginning.

* * *

_(1) I actually used to think that "down there" was the netherworld, because of this thing on T.V. It's hard to explain._

_(2) My dad doesn't really like them that little. But it's true, that my uncle and aunt get up at those times, and my grandparents did very little for him. Didn't try to help him in school, or anything. Sucks for him._

_Holy crap that was a fast update. Last night I was sitting on the computer (really P.O.'d at my best friend, too) and I started writing, and I ended up writing the whole chapter. I added some other things to it, because it was really short. Reviews are always appreciated!_


	13. Turn Back the Clock: Friend

_Disclaimer: I own my own self-insert, and Griffin, and the plot. I own nothing else._

_By the way, Griffin is voiced by Vicmignogna, also known as Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. It's for two reasons. First off, Griffin is an alchemist. Second...you'll see why._

**Chapter 13: Turn Back the Clock: Friend**

_September 1__st__, 2006: The First Day of 6__th__ Grade. HELP!!_

Tears ran down her face. Her feet pounded against the pavement. People looked up for a moment as she passed, but didn't pay any further attention to her.

"Can't go home, mom's at work," Phoenix said to herself. She would have gone to one of her friends' houses…if she had any good friends, that is. It came to her a moment later. The library.

She ran up the front steps, and headed upstairs to the children's section. She sat down in one of the big beanbags, and breathed heavily. When she had caught her breath, she went over to one of the windows, and pulled one of the curtains away a little, just so she could look, and gasped in fear.

Three of the boys (well, actually only two, one just hung along with them) that had been making fun of her today were coming into the library. And they were probably coming upstairs.

Phoenix grabbed her backpack, and tried desperately to find someplace to hide. The door came open, and the boys walked in. The guy who really didn't do much was Matt, who really acted kinda stupid and _really _perverted most of the time. Then there was Brian, who joked around some, and was perverted. But the worst of the three was Russ. He was mean, cruel, and (who would have thought?) perverted. They were a trio of flippin' perverts, who delighted in making fun of the girl who brought "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" to school the first day, and read while the teachers all talked to them.

Russ smirked when he saw Phoenix. "Book-girl, whaddya know? What're you doing here? Aren't you still reading that first book?"

"I finished it," Phoenix said nervously.

"How the hell did you finish that that fast?" Brian said incredulously. He grabbed Phoenix's backpack, and grabbed her Narnia book out of it. "How many pages does this have? Jesus! 200!"

"It's not that much, and I'm a fast reader," she explained. She tried to grab her backpack away from him, but Brian tossed it to Matt. "Give it back! And my book too!"

Russ snatched the book away from Matt, and looked at it. He snorted. "What kinda name is 'Edmund'?" He grabbed the page, and started tugging at it. "Oh, oh, oh!" He ripped the page out completely, and tossed it into the trash.

"Hey!" Phoenix said, jumping to grab her book in vain. He kept on ripping out pages, before tossing the entire book in the trash. "Stop it! Stop it!" She was on the verge of tears…again.

"Crybaby! C'mon, grow up!" Russ said.

"What he said," Brian said with a laugh, and went over to the window. He opened it up, and dumped out her backpack, before dropping the backpack itself down to the ground.

Phoenix said nothing, as she started crying again. Thanks to her stupid luck, the librarian was nowhere to be seen, probably on a break, and it looked like nobody else was around in the children's section. "Will you just shut up! I hate you! I hate you!" she screamed. She suddenly gasped for breath, as Russ punched her in the stomach. She wheezed. "Bastards!!!" she shrieked, cussing for the first time in her young life.

Russ snorted. "Let's go." The three of them headed for the exit.

Suddenly, the big steel door lit up brightly. The door and its frame were fused together. They couldn't push it down. "Matt, use one o' them moves you got."

Matt nodded, and backed up a little. He kicked upward, shouting "Rankyaku!" An air blade shot out straight at the door. It didn't leave a single mark on the door.

"You're wasting your time," said a calm voice. An older boy, probably two years older than Phoenix, emerged from around a bookshelf. He had short blonde hair, and blue eyes, and wore jeans and a t-shirt. On one hand was a big ring, with some sort of symbol on it. "It's now made out of a special kind of metal, of my own creation. Diamondsteel, metal just as hard as diamonds, if not even stronger. I infused the metal with carbon from the floor and walls around it from about ten feet away. Alchemy. Wonderful science."

"Geek," Brian said bluntly.

The older boy's eyebrow twitched, and he lost his cool completely. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A GEEK SO BIG HE'S NUMBER 1 ON THE CHESS TEAM!!!" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out something that resembled a smoke bomb. "Might want to plug your nose," he muttered to Phoenix. He threw it at the feet of the boys, and it went off, releasing a vile stench into the air.

When the smell reached their noses, Russ, Brian, and Matt made faces of disgust, but the smell only grew stronger. With no other choices, the three of them ran for the window, and jumped down to the ground. Matt used Kami-e to float to the ground, but Russ and Brian both hit the ground hard.

Phoenix laughed, her nose still held shut with two fingers. The boy grabbed something else from his pocket, and threw it to the ground. The gas quickly dissipated.

"Glad that they're gone, idiots," the boy said. He looked to Phoenix. "Who are you?"

"Phoenix. Phoenix of the Darkness," she replied.

"Name's Griffin," he said. "So today was your first day of school, then. Middle School?"

"Yep."

"Ah." It looked like Griffin could understand it. "I'm in the Eighth Grade, at a school across town. Sixth grade isn't very good. Seventh Grade isn't much better."

Phoenix sighed sadly. She looked over at the door, that was still made of that Diamondsteel stuff. "You're an alchemist?"

"Yep, I'm the Diamondsteel Alchemist. Unofficially, of course. Not my real title, but other guys call me that," Griffin explained. "I'm still hoping that I'll be able to go to Amestris, eventually. Y'know, learn a bit more." At thirteen in Unity, you could apply for a visa to go to other worlds, to learn more. If you were considered trustworthy (and smart enough to not reveal that you were from another world) then it would probably be passed. "I know a little Ninjutsu, too. Low level Earth Release, though. What about you, Phoenix?"

"I can do this," she said, and focused on one of the chairs. She grabbed an armrest, and easily lifted it into the air. She felt a significant drain on her stamina just from this, so she quickly released gravity back to normal. "I can control gravity, a little. It tires me out a lot, though. And my mom gave me these stones of sorts. One makes me stronger, one makes me faster, and one makes my senses stronger."

"Power Stones, those are a rare find," Griffin noted. "Usually passed down through families." He went over to the door, and Phoenix saw that the symbol on his ring was actually a small transmutation circle. He pressed his hands against the door, and in a flash of light, it reverted to normal. "How about I help you get your things? Then afterwards, I know a good ice cream parlor. My treat."

Phoenix smiled. "Okay. I like chocolate-chip cookie dough."

"What a coincidence, so do I," Griffin said with a grin.

As they left the library, Phoenix said "So why did you get like that when they called you a geek?"

"I'm not a geek, I'm merely intelligent," Griffin said flatly. "There's a significant difference."

"Not really."

"Shut up."

_Griffin…he was my best friend. He was my first friend, and my best friend. I didn't care about the age gap. Make no mistake, we never got into a relationship. I did love him, but I loved him like a brother. Over time, I did make more friends, thanks to him--_

A seventh-grade Phoenix sat at a lunch table with a bunch of other girls. She smiled, and laughed. There was McKenzie, the manga geek. Sheila, the band geek. Carla, the school geek. And herself, the book nerd. There were other girls, too. But these were her best (girl)friends.

_--he gave me more confidence. He was basically my older brother. I trusted in him more than any of my other friends. More even than I trust a lot of you guys._

Phoenix and Griffin were in her bedroom. Griffin rapidly transmuted a piece of steel from one form to another, from a ring, to a star, to miniature of John Lennon. "Griff?" Phoenix said hesitantly. He looked up, placing the metal into his pocket. "We're friends, right?" He nodded slowly. "Then, there's something I need to show you."

Phoenix held out her right hand, always covered with a glove when it was too warm to have long sleeves on. She pulled off the glove, and Griffin's eyes widened. "Holy shit," he swore. Three cuts down her wrist, and one crossing them all. "How the--what the--"

"I know," Phoenix said, sadly. "It's why I wear the glove, or the long sleeves, or both when I can get away with it."

"You did always look sort of weird with the glove on," he commented. "But I figured it wasn't my business." He shook his head. "I can only imagine how horrible it was. By how bright the scars still are, the cuts had to go to muscle, at least." He held up a finger. "One word, and your door will be blocked by stone in the morning." He sighed. "How did this happen? Was it--"

_I can't remember still where I got those scars from. Or even what he asked after that. But that was actually at the end of sixth grade that I told him, before I met any of those girls. It tied us together even more. Perhaps, in the end, it was how closely together that we were tied, that caused it to be so much harder when "it" happened._

**BGBGBG**

Nukid narrowed his eyes. "What was 'it'?"

"It was what set in motion the next eight months of my life," Phoenix replied. "Omega is completely deranged. I don't know exactly how he did it, or why he did it, but he wanted to affect my life in a way so that I would never gain a keyblade. That way, if his body were destroyed, then he would be able to go to a new body." She gritted her teeth. "He wanted to possess me, but if I did gain a keyblade, my heart would be too strong for him to do so. What happened after he was defeated the first time by all of those heroes, I will never forget, even if I live to be a thousand years old."

* * *

_I loved writing this chapter, that's why it got done so fast! I'm not sure that my logic for how Diamondsteel would be created is actually true (steel+carbon=diamondsteel) but I really don't care._

_That bit about boys making fun of me when I was little is true. They didn't actually steal my books and rip them up, but they did torture me, and I was quick to cry. Unfortunately, I never had a Griffin of my own._

_And just to make sure this is understood, in this, me and Griffin do not have a romantic relationship! We're friends, very close friends! He was like an older brother to me, but we wouldn't have ever become lovers! Get it, got it, good._


	14. Turn Back the Clock: Fate is Cruel

_Would you do it, Griff?_

_Griffin: Sure. Phoenix of the Darkness owns herself, me, Omega, and the plot. She owns nothing else._

**Chapter 14: Turn Back the Clock: Fate is Cruel**

_November 12__th__, 2008_

In Phoenix's hometown, dusk was coming quickly. It was cold out, but snow had yet to come. Not until December, at least.

Griffin and Phoenix sat outside of the town, on a hill overlooking it, facing the west. The sunset was beautiful as ever. All kinds of shades of red, oranges, and yellows. Phoenix wore a long, black duster since it was so cold out, along with a gauntlet on her right hand. Griffin had given it to her for her 13th birthday last May. She now looked almost exactly as she did in the present day, except there was a smile on her face. Griffin was wearing jeans, and a black sweatshirt. He still had his big ring with the transmutation circle on it. The apple tree had lost all of its leaves, leaving only the empty branches.

"I'm telling you, you have got to stand up to those guys!" Griffin exclaimed. The boys who had bullied her that first day of sixth grade, Russ, Brian, and Matt, still made fun of her sometimes, since she couldn't resist reading all the time. It was an addiction, simply put.

"I can't, I'm not good at that," Phoenix said sadly.

"You've got to be more confident in yourself. Tell them to fuck off, then gravity slam them ten feet down the hall!" He cackled wildly.

Phoenix giggled. "You're insane."

"Look, just imagine that they just tried to look down your shirt," Griffin said. The other day, some guy over at the Blitzball Stadium had slapped her butt. She sent him flying through the stands, right into the middle of the sphere during the match. "Then again, Matt could very well try that."

"Pervert," Phoenix said bluntly.

"You think I don't know that? If I didn't have these thoughts, then most people would think there was something wrong with me," Griffin said, grinning. Phoenix pushed him a little. "Hey, it's only true nee-san."

"For the twenty-third time, you are not Japanese," Phoenix pointed out.

"Hey, neither are the fan-girls, but they do it anyways," he shot back. "And I speak Japanese fluently, unlike they who speak nothing beyond the honorifics, and 'so kawaii!'" He laughed. He sighed. "How did we get from the subject of you beating some guys up, to fan-girls?"

"ADHD?" Phoenix suggested.

"Maybe it's that," Griffin agreed.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then: "Ever feel like you're meant for something more in life?" Griffin asked. Phoenix shot him a look. "I mean, we're just sitting around here, doing nothing. There's a greater destiny out there for us, somewhere out there in the universe."

"Are you going to start singing?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said, and snorted. He sighed. "We should probably be getting back home. Unless you want to try sleeping in the tree-house again." He pointed upwards, at the tree, with its small tree-house in it. "There should be some blankets up there, and enough room for the both of us. And I won't come near you during the night, promise."

Phoenix was already headed up the rope ladder.

---

In the middle of the night, Griffin was sound asleep. But Phoenix was sitting in the opening that was the door, her legs hanging down freely. She looked out at the full moon. She couldn't shake a feeling of tension within her.

_So, you are his daughter, and heir,_ said a voice nowhere. _And you have yet to awaken. All the better for me._

"Huh? Who's there?" she asked, softly enough to not wake Griffin.

_The Game Master. Your master._

A horrible chill filled Phoenix, and she suddenly felt a dark presence in her mind. She tried to shake it, but it spread, slowly at first, then faster, going beyond her mind and through her entire body. Her eyes turned from green, to gold. She couldn't move at all. Then, her hand came up in front of her face.

"_It will take some getting used to,_" she said…except she didn't. Her mouth moved, but the sound came from elsewhere. "_But once I have awakened your abilities, it will be child's play to continue on with my goals._"

This man, apparition of some sort, controlled her every action. He had possessed her.

**BGBGBG**

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait one minute!" X interjected. "Let me get this straight. Omega possessed you?"

"Yep," Phoenix replied. She saw his hand make a movement like drawing a pistol. She hit him over the head. "Idiot! Think for a second. If I were Omega, possessing me, then why would I tell you that I'm not actually Phoenix?"

"Has Omega met Jack Sparrow ever?" TL asked.

"No, I don't believe so," Phoenix replied flatly. "Now then, can I continue my story before somebody decides that I'm the bad guy?"

**BGBGBG**

Griffin blinked himself awake. "Hm? What?" he said groggily. She stood up, and smirked evilly. "Uh, Phoenix?"

"_Close, but no cigar,_" Omega said through her. "_You may call me Omega._"

Griffin narrowed his eyes, and jumped up. "You…you're a spirit of some sort, aren't you? You're possessing her! Let her go!" he snarled.

"_Not gonna happen, pretty-boy. I have business to take care of, and your friend's abilities will assist me._"

"You mean her gravity control?" Griffin asked in confusion. "Yeah, it's cool, but how is that so powerful?"

"_You don't even know. Her heart is incredibly powerful. From her father, she inherited the ability to wield a keyblade, as well as his legacy,_" Omega said triumphantly. "_She is the Heir--_"

"What? I have no clue what you're talking about," Griffin said in confusion. "The Heir--"

_**Okay, so I have absolutely what they said beyond "Heir." My memory is really, really messed up.**_

"But I do know that I'm not going to let you take my best friend from me!" Griffin said, making hand seals. "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!" From the ground, mud swirled up and through the floor of the tree-house, to sent Omega flying through the air.

He stood up with a grunt. "_Hm, Earth Release Jutsus. You do realize what always defeats earth release. Lighting._" He made hand seals himself, and said "_Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!"_ A small burst of electricity came from his hands, barely shocking Griffin. Omega cursed. "_This girl hasn't the chakra reserves necessary to perform my jutsus at full strength!_"

"All the better for me," Griffin said, and quickly drew a transmutation circle on the ground. He slammed his palms down, and pillars of earth shot up and contained Omega precisely.

"_Boy, don't you get it? I hold all the cards. You can't hurt me, lest you kill your friend. You can't even surprise me, I have access to all of her memories while in her body,_" Omega said. Darkness swam in his palms, and blasted through the earth. He smirked.

Griffin thought quickly, and looked at his ring, with the transmutation circle specifically meant for creating Diamondsteel inscribed in it. He ran to the right, as fast as he could, which was always faster than Phoenix could ever run. Griffin stopped at a steel bench, and hit it with his palm. A sword of Diamondsteel was created from it.

Omega grunted, and held out his hand. Part of a lamppost flew out from the whole, and transformed in the air to a sword for himself. "_Metal manipulation, means infinite swords for me._"

"Considering that you have the metal for it," Griffin said, and slammed his palm on the ground. Twenty feet around them, all metal was reduced to its basic elements. He gripped his sword with both hands then, hoping that the advantage of the stronger sword would serve him well.

Omega raised his sword as well. Griffin made the first move, and the edges of their swords met. With a gesture, Omega sent Griffin flying away at high speed. "_I believe that would be called, Gravity Slam?_" He seemed amused by the use of this technique.

Griffin jumped up, and attacked Omega again. He struck continuously, and when Omega came down with his sword, about to catch his shoulder, Griffin made a hand seal, and his skin became like steel, and the sword deflected away. Omega lost his balance in surprise. He quickly realized that Griffin must have just figured out Earth Spear, because there was no memory of it in Phoenix's mind.

Griffin smirked now. He dropped his sword to the side, and vanished into the ground. Omega spun around, looking for him, still dazed. "_Where did he go? Not around me, not above me._" His eyes widened. "_Shit. Oldest trick in the book._" A hand from beneath the ground grabbed his ankle, and pulled him down into the ground, to where only his shoulders, neck, and head were above the ground. Griffin reappeared in front of him from the ground. He kneeled down.

"This is how I'm beating you," he said, and placed his hands on Omega/Phoenix's shoulders. "Phoenix, please, I know you're in there. I need you to fight him, as hard as frickin' possible, and force him from your mind. What I'm going to do…well, you'll see." He closed his eyes, and released all of the barriers around his mind, reaching out in front of him, to Phoenix's mind, and forged a connection.

Within Phoenix's mind, her mental body had heard what he said. She lay on her back, on some invisible plane in the depths of darkness. She looked up, and narrowed her eyes. "I…alright, I trust you, Griffin." She closed her eyes, and with her mind, she fought to purge the presence of Omega from her mind.

Phoenix's physical body shook. Omega fought to retain dominance, but was failing miserably. Phoenix's eyes slowly changed back to their original bright green. She regained control over herself, and used precise motions to pull herself from the sand. "You did it! You got rid of him!"

Griffin shook his head, and let out a horrible scream of pain. "Phoenix, he's not gone! I took him into myself! He's taking my body, instead of yours!"

Phoenix's expression went from elation to fear. "What! No, how could you?!"

"It was for you. You're like the sister I never had," Griffin said. He shook in pain.

"Please! You can't let yourself give up!" Phoenix pleaded, tears running down her face.

Griffin shook his head. "Sorry, Phoenix. He's winning. Run!"

Phoenix clenched her fist, and felt her heart breaking--no, not breaking. Growing powerful, strong. In a flash of light, a sword shaped like a key appeared in her hand. It looked like a phoenix in mid-flight. _Firebird._ Phoenix didn't stop to ponder this, and used it to cut her palm. "I promise, I'll fight him! I won't stop going after him, until I find him, and beat him! This I swear on my blood!" She hugged Griffin one last time, and then backed away from him.

Griffin's eye slowly changed from blue to gold. His movements slowed, until he was just taking deep breaths. "_What's this? You are…you are stronger than her. Far more than her. Physically and mentally. I couldn't go to another host even if I wanted to._" He grinned evilly, and saw Phoenix, trying to get away.

"_Couldn't hurt to give myself an extra turn, as well as gain an extra advantage later in the game,_" Omega said, smiling. He stood up, and held out his hand, palm-up.

Chakra began to swirl in his palm, until it formed a perfect sphere, spinning faster and faster. It started to spark wildly, as it extended out, growing four feet long, but less than an inch in diameter at its thickest. Electricity arched out, as he raised it. He threw it through the air like a javelin, shouting "_Rasen-Senbon!_"(1) It flew through the air, dark energy keeping it into shape, before it hit its target.

Phoenix felt an enormous charge of electricity through her system, charging her nerves to maximum capacity. She fell to the ground in a dead-faint, a burn mark in the back of her duster, just to the right and below of her heart. Had it hit her heart, she probably would have died from the amount of concentrated chakra and electricity. As it was, she would be unconscious for a while. The Rasen-Senbon, like the same kind of throwing needle, didn't do nearly as much damage if it hit non-vital areas.

_**Not to say that it didn't hurt like hell…**_

**BGBGBG**

Phoenix awoke with a start some ten hours later. Her heart beat quickly. "Griff! Omega! Electricity!" She tried to focus on one thing, but found it incredibly hard. She looked at her hand. That cut was still there, scabbing over by now. "Made, a promise. Need a ship."

She stood up, and ran back to the town as fast as she could. Only one person in this town would have an illegal gummi ship she could convince to let her use.

After getting the keys from Cid (who had been very difficult to convince), she headed out to the gummi garages. It would be easy to get to the _Highwind._ At least, it was supposed to be.

Sitting around in front was the three of them. Russ was smoking a cigarette, while Brian and Matt appeared to be trying not to gag from the smell. "Shut up and stop complaining."

Phoenix took a deep breath, and went around the corner. She unconsciously summoned her keyblade, for the second time. Still had no clue what it was, but she'd find out eventually. "Let me through."

"Well, it's book-girl," Russ said, removing the cigarette from his lips and stomping it out on the ground. "What would you be dong at the gummi garage?"

"Gotta get off-world," Phoenix snapped. "Now get outta the way!"

"And what the hell is up with that fucking sword?" Russ said, like he hadn't heard a word she just said.

The feeling of that metal through her hand gave Phoenix a strange feeling. Could be confidence, for once in her life?

"GET OUT OF MY WAY YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!!" Phoenix screamed, and with a gesture, sent him up in the air, and slammed into a wall. She turned to Brian and Matt. "Either of you want to join him?" she threatened. Both of them went running. "Thought not."

**BGBGBG**

"Beyond that, nothing else is very important to go into detail about," Phoenix said, her hands clenching her seat's edge. Her knuckles were white, and she still shook a little. "I chased Omega across the worlds, and eventually, I showed up outside Titans Tower. Made friends with the Teen Titans, and Robin suggested I head to the Author Fighters HQ. Hikari was the only one there, I asked her, she let me join, and I ended up on my way to New York, to try unsuccessfully to help stop the Face." She winced. "But now, I've come to where I am right now. My past catching up with me."

The Authors were silent, processing this information. Kitten said: "Griffin, he really did that?"

"Yeah," Phoenix said. "He took Omega's essence, his spirit, into himself, so I wouldn't be possessed." She tried to hide the fact that she was on the verge of tears, after saying aloud those things that she had tried to not even think about for seven months. "Now, if I want to beat Omega, for real, I'll have to kill my best friend."

And somewhere far away, Omega, who still looked like a seventeen year-old boy, laughed in triumph.

* * *

_(1) It's a Rasengan mixed with lightning chakra, basically. And to quote Phoenix, 'it hurts like hell', but it doesn't do very much physical damage to non-vital areas, like a regular senbon._

_And there we are. Phoenix's past, revealed completely. Omega might be thirty-five mentally, but he looks like a teenager. Lightning jutsus, Rasengan, Power of Darkness, Metal Manipulation, Artificially Increased Stamina, and now, Earth Release Jutsus, and Alchemy. Crap, crap, crap._


	15. Omega's Last Try

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners. Omega belongs to me. I own the keychain "Hope's Guardian". Fujimoto belongs to Hayao Miyazaki. The song "Sanctuary" belongs to Utada Hikari._

_Omega is voiced by Kirk Thornton, also known as Saix in Kingdom Hearts II. "Do you hate me?"_

**Chapter 15: Omega's Last Attempt/The Only Musical Moment in this Fan-Fic**

From a pocket, Phoenix drew out a keychain. She rubbed it with her thumb. It was shaped like a miniature shield. She held it higher, and showed it to the others. "This is what we've been searching for. The four shards, upon being put together, formed this keychain. _Hope's Guardian._ This will open the doorways to the pocket dimensions where the Black Guardians are."

"How do we beat all of them in…" Ross checked the time "…46 hours?"

"With all hope, with each one defeated, Omega will lose a little bit of his power, and give us more time," Phoenix replied. "But we should still get going. The closest temple is for the Guardian of Water, Leviathan. If Fujimoto is right, then it should be in--"

"Hold that thought, incoming message," Quill said, hitting a few buttons on one of the control panels. A recorded video came in on a screen.

Thanks to the storms, it resembled a polar bear in a snow-storm. Mostly, all that they could see was that it was a girl with brown hair, wearing a black jacket. Some of the words were cut out by the static, and it was difficult to hear her because she was outside and it was storming like hell where she was.

"This…Guit…need help…heart…ina…army of creatures…in Syd…strailia… repeat…dney, Australia…please…quick…" The message cut off there.

"I caught 'Army of Creatures' in 'Sydney, Australia'," Dawn said. Others nodded in agreement.

"Where are we now?" DM asked.

"Somewhere over South Indonesia," Ranger replied. "But, are you sure that we should…"

Dark hesitated. If there were any kind of "creatures" there, many people could be hurt. He came to a decision, and said "Everybody with watches, set them to midnight, tonight. That'll leave us with still another twenty-four hours to find the first temple. Ranger, set a course for Sydney."

"Got it," Ranger said.

"Everybody else, get ready," Dark ordered. "Chances are, the word 'army' is an exaggeration on the part of whoever sent this message. But it can't hurt to prepare, just in case."

**BGBGBG**

Just as the _Phoenix_ came into the outskirts of Sydney and landed, they could hear somebody shout--somehow through all of the metal, and various parts of the starship-- "Open the door, please!!! Lemme in! Please!!!"

Phoenix's eyes widened. "Oh Lord, have mercy." Clearly, she recognized the voice. "Let her in, she an ally…of sorts."

Three seconds later, a young girl came running into the bridge, and shut the door tightly behind her. She breathed heavily. "You do not want to go out there," she promised. She had green eyes, brown hair, and wore a leather jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes. Around her neck was a forehead protector with the symbol of Konoha on it.

"I am DarkMagicianmon," Dark said cautiously. "Who are you?"

Phoenix answered for the girl. "She's my sister. Double G, the Author Fighters. Guys, this DarkGuitarGoddess, or Goddess for short, my little sister."

"Hey, I'm not so little anymore!" Goddess interrupted. She stood in front of Phoenix, and they compared heights. Goddess was up to the top of her nose. Phoenix's face faulted.

"So, you guys are the Author Fighters?" Goddess asked, looking at them each for a moment. "Bunch of real freak shows."

"Says the girl dressed like a rock star crossed with a ninja," X shot back, as Goddess's gaze had stayed on him the longest.

"Rock star crossed with a ninja crossed with a keybearer," Goddess said proudly. "But, that's not important. You guys got that message of mine? Well, yeah, there's a frickin' army of heartless, machina, and noise out there!"

"How many would you say are out there?" Dark asked.

Goddess did some quick math. "Let's see, carry the three…about ten thousand."

A few authors swore, some of them got shocked looked on their faces, and three at least laughed nervously. "Ten thousand!" D-Due said in disbelief.

"Powerful ones, too," Goddess added. "I saw at least ten Boss-level heartless. I'd have to say there were five thousand heartless total, two thousand machina, and three thousand Noise, if my math is right, which it usually is."

"The thousand heartless challenge has nothing on this," Phoenix said, falling into a chair. "We're dead. We'd be better off trying to eliminate the Black Guardians."

"But, the people!" Goddess argued. "I got some into shelter, but how many people are going to listen to an eleven year-old girl who clearly has never been to Australia before?"

"How do you suppose be beat ten thousand strong heartless, Noise, and machina?! Sure, we're over twenty Author Fighters, but afterwards we have to be able to fight the Black Guardians! We can't do that if we're exhausted from fighting an army!"

"Phoenix, quiet," Dark ordered. Phoenix shut up.

"I have to agree with Phoenix on this one, how can we beat them all?" Nukid asked. "It's impossible."

Dark sighed. "Impossible. Impossible like, say, performing the Rokugan at 16? We make our living on impossible! We can't give up just because something seems difficult. What would happen if we gave up every time we were faced with a challenge?"

"We'd all die painful deaths!" Goddess said cheerfully. Yeah, she's insane.

"Not the wording I was going for, but she's right. We wouldn't stand a chance," Dark said, standing up. "Drake or Shade would be Darkside King by now. The world would have been destroyed by the Celestials. The Face would have nobody to stop his rampage. Take your pick. Point is, there would be nobody left to stop them.

"We have to keep on fighting, for ourselves, for others, for the world. Because there's nobody else that can do it." DM's face was very serious. "Now, who else is going to go out there, and fight to the finish?"

TL was first to stand up. "I'm with ya, Boss Wiz!"

"Team Ryche is behind you!" Ross said, standing up with X and Nukid.

Each Author, one by one, stood up, or drew their weapons. The last was a certain rocker chick, who wasn't even an Author Fighter (yet).

Goddess summoned her keyblade, shaped like an electric guitar, the Cutting Note. "I'm ready to kick some heartless hinie!"

"Alright, guys," Dark said, his staff appearing. "LET'S ROCK!"

**BGBGBG**

Goddess was nearly correct in her estimate. There were actually 1,750 machina and 3,250 Noise. This was Omega's army--or at least what he could scrounge up in the short amount of time he had. He was sure that he could delay the Authors for at least a few hours.

---

One of Loony's chakrams appeared, and he threw it as hard as he could. D-Dude lit it aflame as it came to him, then whapped it another direction with his tail. TL reached out with his aura arm, grabbed the chakram, and sent it flying through a group of heartless, back to Loony, who grabbed it out of the air.(1)

---

The commander of this army, who had no plans to take part in this battle, stood atop a building. Omega could have almost been mistaken for an ordinary teenager. Almost. The clunky ring on his right hand was odd, and if you looked closely, you could see that he wore a Kevlar vest, as well as black bracers on each wrist. His highly-unnatural gold eyes were disconcerting to see for anyone who wasn't used to them.

---

Rook looked up at the Darkside (heartless, that is). He grabbed one of his Poke Balls, and called out "Diablos, a little help please!" His Houndoom appeared from the Poke Ball. "Flamethrower!" Diablos reared his head back slightly, then shot a flamethrower at the huge heartless. Just as it hit its head, somebody who highly resembled Rook burst through it, holding a pair of aerial blades (also known as lightsaber rip-offs). Wandrex landed on the ground, and still held the aerial blades. He was humming the Star Wars theme. "Diablos, return," Rook said, slightly put out.(2)

---

"So, the Author Fighters have decided to not give up their turn after all," Omega said, sounding very interested. "Hm, so Phoenix's sister showed up. Must have been searching for her older sister. She's going to be up for a great disappointment, then."

---

Goddess found herself stuck in a group of many machina. She grabbed the upper shaft of her keyblade, and started playing something that sounded a bit like "Smells like Teen Spirit." Concussive blasts of energy shot out like shockwaves, rocking the robots to pieces.(3)

---

Omega held out his hand, and pieces of the gutter created a katana in his palm. He looked out, and gagged at the sight he beheld. Jose and Shelby, arguably the most well-known couple this side of Radiant Garden, working together to destroy a Trick Master heartless. "Love. It makes me sick."

---

Hikari cleared her throat, and started singing. All of the Noise in the immediate area were paralyzed with the pain of her Balance voice. DarkMagicianmon cast a spell, sending a barrage of small meteors at the Noise.(4)

---

"None of it makes a difference in the end. But I cannot distract myself with that," Omega reminded himself. "The endgame began days ago, and the end is near. When the score is tallied up, because of this distraction for them, I shall be the victor." His face faulted, and he checked the time. "Two and a half hours, and all that's left is…" He gritted his teeth. "How did they destroy my army so quickly?"

---

Goddess and Phoenix were together, facing off against the last really big heartless, a Behemoth. "No worries, I got this," Phoenix said, raising her keyblade. Phoenix pushed her arm down.

"No, I got this," Goddess responded, and made a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Four more Goddess' appeared, each one wielding that keyblade, the Cutting Note.

The Behemoth, against Goddess, really didn't stand a chance anyways. But being eleven, she went for a flashy finish, dispersing her clones. Goddess took in a deep breath, and screamed, pushing chakra into her lungs and vocal chords to keep the scream going longer, and extremely loud. The Behemoth exploded.

"How'd you learn that?" Phoenix asked in amazement.

"Stopped in Konoha while I was looking for you," Goddess explained. "Learned how to control my chakra a lot better than those idiots taught me back in Unity."

---

Omega couldn't help it. He screamed in exasperation. "HOW THE FUCK DID THEY PULL THAT OFF!!! IT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM FOUR FUCKING HOURS AT LEAST TO DESTROY MY FUCKING ARMY, AND THEY DO IT IN LESS THAN THREE!!!" So mad was he that he didn't even try to create any kind of metaphors in his sentences.

"There is no need for swearing," said a voice from behind him, and Omega jumped away from a fireball. Loony had been the one who had sent it at him.

"Idiot. Do you honestly believe that you can hit me with a Great Fireball Jutsu?" Omega said. "It is a wasteful move against one with my skills. Try this on for size." He made hand seals, and said "Lightning Release: Burst Edge Jutsu!" He slammed his palms on the ground, and lightning streaked through the ground, and electrocuted Lunatic.

Omega smirked, and ran off the rooftop. The Author Fighters had gathered on one street, and Lunatic appeared with them in a puff of smoke. "Hello, players! I see you have all arrived, just in time."

"Omega!" Phoenix shouted. Her fingers clenched tightly around the handle of her keyblade, but she made not attempt to attack him.

"Phoenix, while your friends haven't missed it, you've missed many turns. What happened again, when I saw you last? Oh that's right." He smirked. "You were convinced that your friend could gain control again, and I nearly got a checkmate."

Phoenix couldn't hold it back. She yelled, and ran at him. He blasted her back with a slight flick of his hand. She stood up slowly, still angry at him.

"Do you truly hate me?" Omega asked her tauntingly. "Yes, I took your friend from you, and your life. But you know what you don't remember, of the memories I blocked from your mind?" He laughed. "I was the one who orchestrated the riots in Unity, also known as the Unity Civil War. An oxymoron, no?"

"You caused the deaths of all of those people!" Goddess shouted in anger. "You son of a--"

"Oh, get over it. That's not even the lowest point of the game," Omega continued. "No, to you and your sister, especially, the worst part? I killed your father. Yes, I remember it. I was the advisor to the king of Unity, and created the Civil War. And in the end, after he had managed to separate the two sides, I entered the field of play, the game board, if you will. I took my sword, and I stabbed him through the heart. You should have seen him, in his last moments, begging for mercy."

Silence for a moment. Two. Then: "Liar," Phoenix said, looking up at him. "You're a liar! Our father was no coward!"

"Give it up. Your father had to make a choice that day. His family, or his world. He was aware that the chances were good that he would die, and he chose his duty over you. Give it all up. Soon, I will control this world. And once I have absorbed the heart of the world, I will keep going, and I will win. Defeating one Black Guardian will not diminishing my power significantly enough to stop me for more than another five minutes."

Phoenix merely stared at Omega. Goddess looked at her sister. "Fee? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not Double G," Phoenix said. She looked at her keyblade. "Get out of here, Omega. You have no more purpose here."

"I guess you've gone with my strategy, then," Omega said. In reality, he was surprised that she had given in so easily, as were her teammates. "Until next time, which may very well never come." Omega vanished through a dark portal.

"Phoenix…you weren't serious, were you?" X asked. His words fell on deaf ears. Phoenix vanished in a flash of light.

**BGBGBG**

Sand was kicked up on the Sydney beach. Phoenix stumbled over the dunes, tears running down her face. She fell to her knees. "No, he's lying, right? We have to, we have to stop him!" She looked up at the sky. It was dark, despite the fact that it was an hour past dawn. "WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!?!?!"

Phoenix fell on her bottom onto the sand, and pulled out a creased picture. She unfolded it, and looked at it sadly. It was of her and Griffin, at Christmas a year and a half earlier. Both of them were smiling. _Just ask for some help when you need it,_ he had said to her once.

Phoenix reached into her pocket, and took out the keychain, Hope's Guardian. She linked it to her keyblade, and it changed form. The shaft became bright gold. The teeth took the form of a butterfly's wing. "The night is always darkest just before the dawn." She took a deep breath, and stood up. "Please, give us a blessing."

_**Phoenix: In you and I, there's a new land**_

_**Angel's in flight**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

_**My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah**_

_**Where fears, and lies, melt away.**_

She went across the beach, slowly spinning, dancing to music unheard.

_**Music inside**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

_**What's left of me, what's left of me, now.**_

_**I watch you fast asleep. All I fear, means nothing.**_

She dragged the tip of the keyblade through the sand, making markings all over the beach.

_**In you and I, there's a new land**_

_**Angels in flight**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

_**My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah**_

_**Where fears and lies, melt away.**_

_**Music inside**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

_**What's left of me, what's left of me.**_

A closed shape was formed, with fifteen point around the edges.

_**Snwod dna spu ynam os**_

_**My heart's a battleground**_

_**Snoitome eurt deen I**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

Bursts of light flew up, each one going to a different place in the world, unsealing the gateways to the temples for the Guardians. But it was not done yet.

_**You show me how to see**_

_**That nothing, is whole and**_

_**Nothing, is broken.**_

The other Authors, her friends, appeared via Chaos Control. As though guided by some invisible force, fifteen of them stepped closer to the shape, now gaining more definition. There was a crown shape in the middle.

_**In you and I, there's a new land**_

_**Angels in flight**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

_**My sanctuary, my sanctuary yeah**_

_**Where fears, and lies, melt away.**_

_**Music inside.**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

DarkMagicianmon for Fantasy. Ranger24 for Humanity. Hikari Ino for Light, X Prodigy for Darkness. Roscoso for Chaos, Mistress of Dawn for Beasts. The Angelic Soldier for Sky, Lunatic121 for Insanity, DarkGuitarGoddess for Storms. Kitten Hachi-chan for Ice, TLSoulDude for Lightning. Shelby for Water, Nukid for Earth, Dimensiondude for Fire, Hurricane's Quill for Wind. Fifteen Author Fighters, to fight the fifteen Black Guardians.

Each of them, and Phoenix of the Darkness in the center of the crown, were consumed in light, and pulled up and away, to their respective temples.

_**My fears, and lies.**_

_**Melt away.**_

_**Wonk uoy naht noitceffa deen I.**_

The lights, like shooting stars, slowly vanished.

* * *

_(1) This is called "Fictor Fury"_

_(2) "Copyright Infringement"_

_(3) "Smells Like Nirvana"_

_(4) "Light of the Balances"_

_And here it is. The last chapter of this fic before the fights with the Black Guardians begin. How long has it been since I started this, I wonder? *checks* Almost three months! Three months this Wednesday, as a matter of fact. Well, three months, fifteen chapters, and a whopping 114 reviews later, we're beginning the fights with the Black Guardians. Still can't believe it._

_And for those of you who don't like Musical Moments, let it be known that that will be the only one in this fic. Gotta limit myself. Reviews are appreciated!_


	16. Nukid Vs Ifrit Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own neither Nukid, nor Ifrit. I own my laptop, and that's it!!!_

**Chapter 16: Nukid Vs. Ifrit Pt. 1**

_Mauna Loa, Hawaii…_

Nukid hit the ground, and automatically rolled when he landed. He'd been conscious the entire time as he'd been flying through the sky, he wasn't completely out of it. He dusted himself off, and looked around.

There was an ocean, and some rocks, and a volcano about a hundred yards off. His eyes landed on a circular doorway, nearly hidden in the rocks. He stepped closer to it, and ran his hand along it. A symbol on the door, whose meaning was Earth, lit up deep green. Nukid jumped back, and there was a grinding noise, and the doorway slowly slid to the side. Stairs led down into darkness.

Nukid went down slowly, looking back and forth. When he reached the bottom, torches lit up by themselves along the walls, revealing a circular room. Around the edges were mosaics, of a strange sort of beast-man. The floor in the center was slightly raised.

Opposite of him was a second doorway, this one with a shape like a keyhole on it, glowing. A big steel ring was attached to the door, probably meant to be the handle. The moment Nukid grabbed it, he was consumed in light, and vanished.

The first thing he noticed was the heat. It was hot as a furnace, and for a very good reason.

"Bloody hell," Nukid swore. It was a volcano's crater. He was on about a ten-foot wide chunk of rock forty feet over bubbling magma.

"_Hell, hell, HELLFIRE!!!_" screamed a powerful voice, and Nukid barely dodged a stream of flames with soru. When the smoke cleared, Nukid saw that same beast-man from the mosaics in the temple. He had horns, and hooves, and wore nothing but a loincloth and metal bracers. This was Ifrit, the Guardian of Earth.

"Rankyaku!" Nukid said, and kicked upwards. The air blade nicked off the tip of Ifrit's horn, but hit nothing else.

Ifrit roared, and slammed his fists against the platform, causing it to shake. While Nukid shifted his weight to stay balanced, Ifrit came at him, and punched him. "Tekkai." Ifrit's fist connected with his stomach, but Nukid didn't move an inch.

"Shigan Shottogan!" Nukid left a wound like a very large bullet hole in Ifrit's shoulder, and rolled behind the beast-man. With nothing more than raw strength, he pushed the Black Guardian toppling off the platform. Ifrit roared as it hit the magma, then there was no more sound. "There's no way that's the end of it," Nukid said, and whaddya know? He was right.

Something very strong and _very_ heavy tackled him from behind. Ifrit was covered in magma, not that Nukid could see that, as his head was pressed against the rock. Ifrit picked him up, and threw the teenager through the air, until he slammed into one of the walls of the crater, leaving an indent.

"Kamisori," Nukid grunted, and pushed off the wall, kicking off the air at high speed to get back to the platform. "Shigan Missairu!" He flew at Ifrit like a missile, and left a hole in his chest.

"Crush, boy!" Ifrit grunted, and ran at Nukid.

"Geppou," Nukid said, and jumped into the air, kicking off the air itself to avoid Ifrit. He spun around in midair, and landed behind the Black Guardian. But Ifrit had learned his lesson, and turned to face Nukid. He ran at him, and Nukid used Tekkai again. But Ifrit crashed into him, and kept on pushing, wearing out the soles of his sneakers on the rock.

Nukid started pushing back at him, taking advantage of his superhuman strength. They were at a standstill, until Ifrit started pushing _down_ on his opponent. A bead of sweat ran down Nukid's forehead. His knees finally bent, and he went crashing to the ground.

Ifrit grabbed Nukid around his neck tightly, and held him precariously over the edge of the platform, above the magma. Ifrit laughed wickedly, and released Nukid completely.

"Shit, shit, Kami-e!" Nukid said as he fell, then became flat as a piece of paper. As he floated down, closer to the magma, he thought quickly. Ten feet above the magma, still no ideas, and suddenly a burst of hot air coming off the magma sent him flying upwards. When he was as near the platform as he could be, he returned to his normal shape, and grabbed the edge. Nukid managed to pull himself up with one hand. "Bloody hell."

Ifrit turned around, and saw that Nukid had somehow survived. Ifrit charged at him, and Nukid side-stepped. Ifrit kept going, and fell into the magma again. "You'd think he'd learn," Nukid said, shaking his head. "And who the heck am I talking to?"

Nukid suddenly grunted in pain, as something heavy and burning hot hit his shoulder. "Shit!" he swore. He yanked off his sweatshirt, and threw it and the chunk of magma away from him. The magma had burned through nearly all of where it had hit on his sweatshirt, and had started burning through his t-shirt.

Ifrit was laughing. "Rankyaku Kinsei," Nukid said, and balanced on one leg, firing off many smaller Rankyaku with the other leg. They sliced at Ifrit's chest, but the beast-man barely noticed it. Ifrit just grabbed a chunk of rock from the platform, and threw it at Nukid. The latter easily dodged it, and ran at Ifrit at high speed with Soru. "Shigan Mashingan!" He rapidly performed Shigan, creating fifty bullet holes in Ifrit's chest.

Black blood poured from Ifrit's injuries. He howled in pain, and sucker-punched Nukid in the face so hard the ex-assassin's nose started bleeding. He wiped away some of the blood with the back of his hand, and stayed on the balls of his feet, ready to start moving again.

Ifrit clenched his fists, and pounded them against the platform. Nukid managed to stay standing. Ifrit pounded the platform again, and ran at Nukid, catching him around the waist. He lifted him up easily, and brought his arm forward and released to throw…air. It was clear to see now that Nukid had used Kami-e to slip out of his grip. "Rankyaku!" An air blade shot out and hit Ifrit's stomach, but for the most part, Nukid only succeeded in making Ifrit even more mad.

Ifrit turned slowly to face Nukid. A horrible smile spread across his face, and Ifrit clapped his hands together. Stone came from the walls of the crater on each side of them, and Nukid instantly used Tekkai. While he didn't get hurt from the rocks, they still held him in place, and that was what the Black Guardian was going for.

Flames swam in and around Ifrit's maw, and slowly formed into a fireball. Ifrit reached back with one hand, and brought it forward, sending the fireball flying at Nukid. It flew into his chest, freeing him from the rocks, and sending him skidding across the rock. He managed to keeping from falling off again, but his torso was a mess of burns and scratches.

Unfortunately for Nukid, Ifrit wasn't done yet. The Guardian of Earth slammed his fists against the rock, not only shaking it, but cracking it. He did it again, and the crack grew. His speed increased, stronger and stronger. The crack spread quickly, wider and deeper.

"Shit," Nukid said simply when he realized what was happening, but it was too late to stop Ifrit. With one final blow, the platform could take no more, and it shattered into many pieces, falling into the magma below.

And with them went the ex-assassin, internally cussing himself out.

* * *

_Without the solid rock to hang on to, how will Nukid possibly defeat Ifrit? Keep an eye out for the next chapter, to find out!_


	17. Nukid Vs Ifrit Pt 2: I am the Earth

_Disclaimer: ...Chris?_

_Chris: Fine. Phoenix of the Darkness has, Total, Non, Ownage! Can I go now?_

_Fine. And just so you guys know, I've decided on a VA for Ifrit. Antonio Banderes! That's why Ifrit's says some stuff in Spanish in this chapter. And because I can :D_

**Chapter 17: Nukid Vs. Ifrit Pt.2: I am the Earth**

"Rankyaku!" Nukid said, and sent a couple air blades at one of the walls. "Geppou!" He kicked off the air, and latched onto the wall, using the cracks he had made as handholds. "One problem solved, then."

Ifrit came from the magma, climbing up the wall like a spider. "Face it, puny human! You cannot hope to defeat I, Ifrit, Guardian of Earth!" He thrusted a hand out, sending a pillar of earth shooting out. Nukid hung with one hand, and created another handhold with Shigan.

A chunk of molten rock flew at his head, and Nukid released both of his handholds. Hoping that it would work, he let himself fall, and said "Soru" and hit the ground--make that magma--running. He was running on magma, making a slight wake as he went.

"Shigan Bachi!" Nukid said, and fired air bullets at Ifrit, but it barely hurt him. Nukid latched onto the wall again, and managed to check the soles of his shoes. He'd have to get new sneakers afterwards, but they weren't going to melt off his feet, which was the important part.

Boulders flew through the air at him, and Nukid started climbing. He would use Rankyaku when one was too close, but he had to get higher.

A shadow passed over Nukid, and he turned his head around. Ifrit had gotten above him, and was now falling back down. The ex-assassin pushed off the wall. "Shigan Missairu!" he said as he flew through the air, and tore up the side of Ifrit's stomach. He grabbed the opposite side of the crater, and Ifrit went falling into the magma again.

Suddenly, a pillar of magma shot out of the magma. From the looks of it, Ifrit was _seriously_ ticked off. Boulders flew from the magma, all around so that Nukid couldn't dodge.

"Tekkai Gou," he said, and stayed completely still. When one of the projectiles hit him, he didn't flinch in the slightest. When the barrage finally stopped, Ifrit burst from the magma, and roared when he saw that Nukid was still alive. The Black Guardian stood on top of the molten rock solidified into rock, and threw fireballs through the air at Nukid.

He kicked off the wall, going back and forth between them as best as he could. "Soru Shinkirou!" He ran around Ifrit incredibly fast, so that it appeared that he was everywhere at once. Ifrit looked back and forth in confusion, and swiped at the mirages, never getting the real one. Nukid managed to bury a Shigan in Ifrit's forehead, and the latter howled in pain. But Ifrit wasn't nearly done.

Ifrit clapped his big hands together, and a wave of magma rose up, headed at Nukid. "Geppou," he said, and jumped off the air itself, avoiding the wave. "Rankyaku Sen!" he shouted, and kicked a straight air blade at Ifrit, who managed to avoid it.

"HELLFIRE!!!" Ifrit yelled, and reared back his head, fire in his maw, and came forward, sending an inferno at Nukid.

"Pleaseletthiswork-RANKYAKU HAKURAI!" Nukid said in a quick string of words and kicked with both feet. A larger-than-normal air blade shot out, and divided the stream of fire to both sides, before slicing into Ifrit, and sending him back into the magma.

Nukid grabbed onto the wall again, and caught his breath, keeping an eye out for any funny business from Ifrit.

"Heh," laughed Ifrit from an identifiable location. "Heh-heh. You'd think you'd learn, chico." A fireball shot out from the wall itself, and Nukid dropped to avoid it. He went across the magma at high speed, and grabbed onto the other wall. Ifrit came from the stone on the other side of the crater, sticking to the earth. Moments after seeing this, Nukid realized something.

All of Ifrit's injuries were gone. Healed, in a period of less than a minute. "Healing factor?" Nukid muttered. But if Ifrit did have an accelerated healing factor, then why didn't his injuries heal over almost immediately?

Ifrit somehow heard him. "No healing factor, chico. I am the earth, and the earth is me. This is why this is my realm. The magma heals me, any time I drop into it."

"So when you fight somebody, and they think they've beaten you, then you're just better than before, while they wear themselves out," Nukid realized. _So how can I keep this guy out of the magma?_ he thought.

"Precisely," Ifrit confirmed, and smiled wickedly. "You cannot defeat me, chico." A confused look came over his face. "Chico? You must be kidding me."

Nukid had fallen asleep, while still hanging to the wall. Technically, he should have fallen off the wall, but he didn't. A rock hitting the wall above his head made him wake up quickly. "Hm? What? Sorry, you were saying?"

A vein pulsed in Ifrit's forehead. "Uf." He fired a series of fireballs at Nukid, who dodged them with Geppou.

He landed on the chunk of rock floating on the surface of the magma that Ifrit had created earlier. Ifrit jumped down, and faced him. "Chico, I said it already, I cannot be beaten."

"I like a challenge," Nukid shot back. He ducked under Ifrit's arm, and put a series of Shigan into the Guardian of Earth's hand. As Ifrit nursed his hand--where one of the fingers was just hanging by some skin, Nukid pushed as hard as he could, into the side of the crater, where Ifrit stayed.

Nukid ran across the magma with Soru, back and forth to keep on attacking Ifrit without stopping. Ifrit wasn't healing, which confirmed the ex-assassin's theory. He couldn't heal from the solid rock, just magma.

The Black Guardian was getting worse off by the minute, cuts and bullet holes covering him. One of his horns was missing. "Por favor, mercy!"

"Not a chance! RANKYAKU!!" Nukid roared, aiming for Ifrit's neck. The Guardian of Earth seized up, as black blood poured from his neck. Thoughts ran through his head.

"_You shall obey me, and only me! Ifrit, Guardian of Earth, bow to me!"_

"_Nunca! The Mountain bows to none!"_

_Laughter, full of malicious intent. "Taste my darkness!" And pain, horrible pain._

Ifrit dissolved apart. Nukid was breathing heavily, standing on the rock on the magma. _Is it over?_ he thought.

Light flew through the crater of the volcano, starting as small sparks, but slowly growing brighter. They flew together, into one form. Nukid watched at Ifrit was reformed from the light, but there was no more of that threatening look in his face.

"Hmph, so you managed to pull it off, chico," Ifrit said. He was surrounded by a green aura. "I am, somewhat impressed."

"Thanks," Nukid replied.

Ifrit nodded. "Strong, stubborn, powerful. You are fit to have survived a fight with I, Ifrit, Guardian of Earth. Go, Nukid, Ex Employee of the World Government, and Author Fighter. I have much work to do. Indonesia is being bombarded by earthquakes." Ifrit held his hand out, and an aura of light surrounded Nukid, healing him. He was blinded for a moment, as he was transported away from the Realm of Ifrit.

**BGBGBG**

He reappeared in a warehouse, in Los Angeles. He stepped outside, and looked around. The streets were deserted. But it was far from silent. Storms were wracking the city. Thunder sounded like cannons, wind like howls of soldiers as they fell in battle. But there was nobody.

Suddenly, an explosion overshadowed all of the noise of the storm. It nearly blew out Nukid's eardrums, but whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

* * *

_OMG that was so fun to write. Sorry, just had to say that._

_Next time, the most intelligent of the Author Fighters, vs. the Guardian of Fire! Dimensiondude Vs. Salamander, coming up next!_


	18. Dimensiondude Vs Salamander Pt 1

_Disclaimer: D-Dude belongs to D-Dude, and Salamander belongs to Squeenix, and Iron Man belongs to Marvel. Yayz._

**Chapter 18: Dimensiondude Vs. Salamander Pt 1**

_Sahara Desert…_

"How anybody missed this thing, I'll never know," Dimensiondude said as he looked around the temple dedicated to the Guardian of Fire. There was no apparent doorway or something like that anywhere he could see. His eyes landed on a torch, which would have been quite normal, except that it was the only one in the room that wasn't lit. "I wonder…"

With a controlled stream of his fiery breath, D-Dude lit the torch aflame. It flared up suddenly, not red-orange as it should have been, but bright blue.

There was a bright flash of light behind the Dragonsaur, and he turned to see that an empty archway had appeared in the middle of the room. The light bent strangely as it passed through, making the air itself appear distorted. With no other clues, D-Dude passed through the archway.

Instead of something resembling the desert, he was surprised to find himself in a dense rainforest. It wasn't raining at the moment, but the ground was still wet. He looked around for any hint of another living being, and was not disappointed.

From the foliage came a bright red, giant salamander. Emphasis on _giant_. This sucker was seven feet long, at least. However, he remained on all fours, so there was something at least.

"So you are my opponent?" asked the salamander. "Hm, interesting. I am Salamander, the Guardian of Fire."

"Isn't that redundant?"

"Quite so," Salamander replied. "However, a name can be a window, or a mask. From fire comes all inspiration, creation and destruction. Let us see whether you can hold up to this, Dragonsaur." Salamander opened his maw, and sent a burst of flames at D-Dude, who countered with his own fire. Both fireballs dissipated when they hit each other. Salamander sent a less-easily avoided wave of fire through the air, but it didn't hurt D-Dude in the slightest.

"My turn," D-Dude said, and blew fire shaped like a volley of arrows at Salamander. They bounced off his skin, and smoldered out. "So neither of our fire-breathing will be of use here." But of course, that wasn't his only natural ability.

From a sac in his throat, he forced out a chemical that worked as an adhesive. That is, if it made contact with his opponent. Salamander got away easily. "Nice try," the Black Guardian said with a chuckle.

"Right, so he's fast, fire-proof, and sarcastic," D-Dude said to himself. "Spirit Legs, open! Spirit Claws, open!" His legs glowed yellow, and his claws glowed blue, and he ran at Salamander at super-speed.

When D-Dude raked his claws against Salamander's side, they left deep marks like a lightsaber. However, at the same time, a red aura glowed around Salamander, and D-Dude felt both Spirit Gates deactivate far too early.

Salamander laughed. "Fire is energy. And just as I give mortals the energy to survive, I can take it back through the slightest touch." The scratches in his hide healed over, the spirit energy from D-Dude redirected into healing energy.

_Then I don't have to touch him,_ D-Dude thought. "Spirit Mind, Open!" He glowed black, and focused on Salamander. Immediately, he felt a spear of mental energy slam at the defenses around his mind.

_I have had centuries to work up my defenses to the highest level. It's pathetic for you to even make an attempt at this,_ said a voice somewhere between his ears. A foreign force went through his memories, his life, his friends. _Fool. You must work harder than this if you want to keep me out._

D-Dude tried to think of something to focus on, to re-create the barriers around his mind. TL and Lunatic floated to the top of his mind, and he focused on them, only his brothers. And he shut out Salamander.

This had happened in less than five seconds, all of this. Salamander flinched back as he retreated from D-Dude's mind, and the Dragonsaur took that opportunity to use telekinesis to throw a toppled tree at Salamander.

Salamander spat, turned tail, and started running through the forest, D-Dude quickly following him. Any kind of obstacle Salamander went over or created to slow down the Dragonsaur, D-Dude easily avoided and kept on going after him.

They eventually reached a cave of sorts, and fifty feet into it, Salamander stopped. Around them were dead trees, dry even here in the rainforest. They would easily catch on fire. Salamander turned to face D-Dude.

"You may be fast, Dragonsaur, but even you are bound by the necessities of mortals, whereas I am not," Salamander said. He inhaled, and blew out fire at the trees around them.

D-Dude tried to think about what the Black Guardian meant by this, as he coughed out one of his summon charms. "Iron Man!" The armored hero appeared in a flash of light, and held up both hands. He fired repulsor rays at Salamander, who was sent toppling side-over-side.

Iron Man aimed at Salamander, and said "Fried lizard anybody?" as he fired a missile at the Black Guardian. A fantastic explosion filled the cave, kicking up dirt and dust.

From within the cloud of smoke, they could hear Salamander laughing. "Fire, heat, kinetic force, all forms of energy that I can absorb." Salamander was a blur as he came out of the smoke, grabbed Iron Man with his tail, and threw him head-first into one of the dead trees, before dousing him with flames. When the flames cleared, Iron Man only got the chance to say "Ow" before vanishing in a burst of light.

"I absorb all energy," Salamander said. "Nearly all of your spirit gates can be drained by me with one touch, and I am fireproof as well."

"But I heal," D-Dude pointed out. "And I'm faster than you, so I can avoid your attacks. 'Two immortals, locked together in combat until Judgment Day.' Isn't that right?"

"Don't think of yourself too much, just as I said, you are mortal, and mortals need three certain things to survive. Food, water, and the third thing, air, which this fire is eating up more and more of my the minute. Soon you'll run out of air, Dragonsaur," Salamander hissed. "Brain functions will shut down without oxygen, and you will die. I hear that death by suffocation is very painful." Salamander laughed triumphantly.

* * *

_This chapter was interesting, to say the least. Working with the different environment, versus a flat plane is always fun to do. Reviews are appreciated!_


	19. DDude Vs Salamander Pt 2: One Shot

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual._

_Salamander is voiced by Michael Caine, the guy who play Alfred Pennyworth in "The Dark Knight."_

**Chapter 19: Dimensiondude Vs. Salamander Pt. 2: One Shot**

Salamander dashed at D-Dude through the flames, and bit on his arm. He threw the Dragonsaur into one of the walls of the cave, and hit him with his tail, breaking at the very least a few ribs, and D-Dude's arm hurt like hell where he was bitten.

While normally, his healing factor would have taken care of this quickly, it appeared that the lack of oxygen was impairing this ability of his.

The fire was consuming the air at a dangerous rate, and Salamander was guarding the only visible exit.

"Spirit Wings, Open!" D-Dude coughed out. His wings grew more developed, and he took off, speeding through the air as fast as he could. Just as he came to Salamander, he boosted himself again, avoiding the Black Guardian.

Unfortunately for the Fictorian, Salamander was neither stupid nor weak. One of those old, rotten trees in the cave was thrown at him, knocking him out of the air.

Salamander caught up to him, absorbed his spirit energy, and knocked him back into the inferno. The Guardian of Fire redirected the energy from D-Dude into his mouth, and his small teeth glowed blue. The next time Salamander bit him, the Dragonsaur howled in pain, like he had been stabbed by five lightsabers at once.

D-Dude stood up shakily, bleeding horribly. This was nearly as bad as his fight with Sagittarius. Not quite, but very close.

Through the fog of his oxygen-deprived mind, he tried to think of a plan. _He's got the only exit guarded now, and I've used both Spirit wings and Spirit legs,_ he thought. _Could use Spirit Blood, but I've only got one shot with it…one shot…THAT'S IT!_

D-Dude activated Spirit Eyes, and looked all over the cave quickly, for one thing in particular, as Salamander watched curiously, still staying ready for an attack from his opponent.

Before he ran out of air completely, he managed to say "Spirit Bones, Open!" He grew bigger and stronger, into his 1st Phase Ultima Form, D-Rex!

To another person, they may have thought that this was an extremely stupid move, as Salamander would just absorb the spirit energy again. However, he wasn't going D-Rex to fight. It was to make a timely exit, stage…up.

With his awesome strength, D-Rex hit the top of the cave, where he had seen it was the thinnest with his Spirit Eyes. The cave crumbled apart, in one shot.

D-Rex swooped out of the rocks, and transformed back into D-Dude in mid-glide. When he landed, he had to control his breathing so he didn't start hyperventilating.

"Spirit Cells, Open!" he gasped, then sighed in relief as his injuries were healed in a few moments. He rolled his shoulders, and immediately started looking around for Salamander.

The Black Guardian, with his slim body, slipped from the wreckage easily, though he looked to be a bit banged up. When he saw that D-Dude was completely healed, he didn't seem happy.

However, he didn't really express this much. _He's running out of steam, so he won't bother with getting mad over this,_ D-Dude realized. _Unless I make him mad._ "Hey, sulfur-breath!"

"You think that insults that could just as easily be applied to yourself would win you this fight?" Salamander said with a chuckle.

"At least I can hit my target!" D-Dude taunted, trying to get a violent response from Salamander. He was not disappointed.

"Impudent mortal, I will show you your place!" Salamander filled his lungs with air, before breathing an inferno of fire at D-Dude, who dodged, not that it really mattered, since he was fire-proof.

"My turn," D-Dude muttered. He sent a spray of his adhesive chemical at Salamander. This time, it hit his target.

Salamander laughed. "What now? Claw me apart with your bare hands? You haven't the guts to do so!" He tried to pull free from the adhesive, but he was stuck fast to the ground.

"I could if I had to, but there's an easier way to beat you." D-Dude trotted over to an old, decrepit tree, and with a combination of claws, strength, and Spirit Flame (okay, _mostly_ Spirit Flame), the tree rumbled, and fell to the ground ("Timber!"), crushing Salamander beneath it. There was a horrible cracking sound as the Guardian of Fire's spine snapped. Salamander dissolved into mere embers.

And before Dimensiondude's eyes, Salamander reformed. But he had a different kind of aura than before. It was strong, but gentle at the same time. And wise, very wise, like those whom the gift of fire had enlightened.

"Using my low stamina and pride against me. Smart, very smart," Salamander, no longer one of the Black Guardians, admitted. "Hone that mind, Fictorian Dragonsaur. It will be something great someday." A portal appeared, flaming red. "Go. The flames burn brightly once again." D-Dude passed through the portal, and re-emerged in Los Angeles.

* * *

_Ow, can't type much more. Wrote all this down on notebook paper at school, and I just re-typed it. Ow. Fun to write. Alright, be brave Phoenix._

_Watch for the next chapter of the Black Guardians, and see the beginning of the next fight, Hurricane's Quill Vs. Garuda, Guardian of Wind!_


	20. Hurricane's Quill Vs Garuda Pt 1

_Disclaimer: Yo no, uh, owno anything...o. I've only had a year and a few weeks of Spanish, sue me._

**Chapter 20: Hurricane's Quill Vs. Garuda Pt. 1**

Hurricane's Quill looked carefully over the edge of the cliff. He had gone through the doorway as the others had. But this was a little disconcerting. Wind and rain battered the Cliffside, and made for an interesting battlefield. It was actually an outcropping on the side of a cliff that he was one, but close enough.

For a moment, the wind picked up even further for a moment, and a strange kind of creature appeared. It looked essentially like a small dragon, with wings like that of a dragonfly, and a strange bulge on the end of its tail.

When it spoke, Quill realized with a shock that not only was it female, but she sounded like a young girl. "Hurricane's Quill, heir of Garda. I am the Guardian of Wind. I am Garuda." Quill nodded. "So you know me, and I know you. Let's skip the rest of the formalities," he said. He drew Dragon Breaker and Akelela, and hit the safety.

Before he could fire a single shot, Garuda flew at him, claws outstretched. Quill rolled out of the way. He steadied himself, and fired at Garuda. They hit her on the tail, but just barely. He loaded a specialty round--courtesy of Rovus--and fired at Garuda's chest. It exploded spectacularly on contact, knocking Garuda through the air.

Garuda growled, and extended her wings out wide. A burst of wind buffeted Quill. He put Akelela away, and transformed into a shape that was a bit like a boomerang, called a sky-cutter. He threw it at Garuda, and it hit her in the arm before returning to him. It broke her concentration enough to stop the typhoon for the moment.

Quill went straight from the sky-cutter form, to its gunblade form, Gardafang, and ran at Garuda. Sword and claw clashed together with a shower of sparks. Garuda swung her tail, and Quill jumped to dodge, and he quickly brought Gardafang into her shoulder.

Garuda's blood was a silvery color. She flew back beyond the edge of the outcropping, before she sent bursts of wind at Quill again. The wind was too powerful for the sky-cutter to make it through, and the chances of getting a good shot in from here was about nil, so Quill closed his eyes and focused. He glowed, and quickly transformed into a hawk!

He flew through the air expertly, and dove at Garuda. He scratched at her with his talons, and Garuda fell a long way toward the ocean, before righting herself and flying back up.

Quill, meanwhile, had landed on the outcropping and returned to normal. He felt raindrops, and sighed. "Just what I need," he muttered.

The Guardian of Wind swooped up and over the edge and came at Quill. He was taken by surprise, and got clawed as a reward. Three long but shallow marks on his left arm. He'd life.

He felt a sudden chill, and looked up. He couldn't help but grin. It was snowing, and ever harder by the moment. _That could come in handy later._

In the meantime, he drew Gardafang, and the next time Garuda came around, he blocked and parried her strike, and brought his gunblade up her wing. She fell to the ground, and Quill made hand seals. "Sundori Raikiri!" Lighting formed in his hand, and he ran at Garuda. He pushed the altered form of the Lightning Blade into Garuda's wing. It began to freeze through completely. Quill pulled away, and the freezing stopped just before it reached Garuda's body.

Garuda closed her eyes, and her wing shattered into many pieces of ice. Wind whipped around her, encasing her in a cocoon, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. In a few moments, the cocoon shattered apart, revealing that Garuda's wing had been restored. "It may take some time to do, but with this technique I can restore myself from any physical injuries!"

Quill brandished his gunblade, and flew at Garuda. His sword and her claws came together many times, over and over again, sparks flying through the air. "Blizzard Cannon!" Freezing cold power blasted Garuda into the face of the cliff, but she came back at Quill with twice the resolve.

"While I may rarely hit you, I will heal from the rare strike you inflict upon me," Garuda said. "We are at an impasse."

"But you said that you heal only with a few moments of concentration," Quill pointed out. "I won't give you those few moments." He jumped back, and sheathed Gardafang. _Looks like I have you use, that._ He swept his arms upward, sending all the snow around him into Garuda's face.

Quill focused himself while Garuda was distracted. He snarled in a manner most beast-like. He began to transform again, but this time, it appeared that he only half-transformed into a wolf form. However, this was not the case. This was his War Form, a fusion of his human form and his spirit form. While extremely powerful, it had downside to it. While using it, he also activated a technique called "Relentless Lunar Fury." While that increased his power further, it also made him lose his human mind completely for the next minute.

He went at Garuda in a rage, tearing away at her with everything he had. Silvery blood accompanied each strike he made, streaking across his arms, but he didn't even notice it as he was fighting. No conscious thought for this, just keep on fighting, never stopping for a moment, even when Garuda countered every once in a while with a strike of her own, both somehow staying fighting.

And then, it was over. For Quill, it felt like everything had gone foggy. He found himself laying on his back on the outcropping, returned to his human form. He stood up, suddenly feeling weak. A moment later, he looked at himself. "Crud." Deep cuts along his forearms and shoulders, and blood was coming from his stomach. He couldn't move the fingers on his left hand.

"Yes, yes, in minutes, you will die, Exalted," Garuda said. She somehow was still alive after that, though she was on all fours. It looked like even the act of speaking pained her. "Not even you can lose that much blood and survive."

"Maybe," Quill said. "Or maybe not." He swept his right arm through the air--feeling like fifty daggers had been plunged into his arm in the action--and snow gathered into a pile in front of him. It wasn't very much, since it had been only snowing for twenty minutes now, but it would have to do. He carefully lowered himself into it, letting it cover the areas of most importance to heal, stomach and shoulders. His Elemental Rejuvenation didn't heal everything, but it healed most of his injuries. He still felt exhausted, but that was to be expected after this.

Quill stood up. He drew Gardafang once again, ready to finish this. He walked to Garuda slowly. He expected to sever her spinal chord, and defeat her. He expected to then be returned home, to the others. What he didn't expect was for a burst of wind to almost knock him off his feet.

"It has been a long time since I have had to use this technique. You should be honored," Garuda said, standing up again. Her injuries were healing themselves, and she begun to glow. "Behold the power of the true master of the wind." She crowed, and the sound quickly changed to that of a roar. Garuda grew longer and thinner, her wings transforming into something far more dragon-like. When her transformation was complete, she resembled a Chinese Dragon. "Ku-ku," she laughed. "I always remember those I defeat with this form. You will always be remembered by me, Hurricane's Quill."


	21. Quill Vs Garuda Pt 2: Wind and Snow

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, blah-blah. You get it._

**Chapter 21: Hurricane's Quill Vs. Garuda Pt.2: Wind and Snow**

Garuda flew through the air, as powerful and unpredictable as the wind itself. She clawed Quill on one pass, and blasted him with piercing cold wind another time. She was moving too fast for Quill to aim well enough to shoot her, and he couldn't use Blizzard Cannon quickly enough before she broke his focus. She created a vortex of icy-cold wind, and Quill was caught up in it, and sent into the face of the cliff, the wind grinding into him.

He managed to land on his feet, but just barely. Quill drew Dragon Breaker, and loaded a specialty round. He fired into the air, and a cloud of smoke was released from the round. Before Garuda could disperse the smoke, Quill cut her with Gardafang.

He followed by bringing his arm up, pelting Garuda with snowballs. When the smoke cleared, the Guardian of Wind looked no worse for the wear. "You truly think that you can defeat me with a few snowballs?!"

"No, but there is one way I can match you," Quill said. He closed his eyes, and released the core of his essence outwards. "Goddess Trigger!"

Power burst from Quill, wind and snow swirling around him. The snow showers turned into a full-fledged blizzard. He drew Akelela, and flew at Garuda. She put out a claw to stop him…and it was broken to pieces.

"Azure Sky Rain." Quill summoned ice from the air, and shards as sharp as daggers flew at Garuda, releasing her silvery blood. Quill brought Akelela across her maw, and Garuda howled in pain. She snapped at him, tearing his trench coat. She whipped her tail around, and Quill jumped into the air, even higher with the wind boosting him. He switched Akelela into its gun form, and fired quickly, but very few bullets reached their target.

Garuda spun up through the air after Quill, and exhaled. Frost quickly covered his clothes, freezing thicker and thicker. Eventually, Quill couldn't stay aloft, even with the boost that his Goddess Trigger gave him, and he went crashing to the ground like a hailstone. The ice burst off of him, and he went after Garuda again, but this time she was ready, and froze his arm over.

"With how close we are to the ocean, the spray leaps up to us, and it becomes easy to freeze it to you with cold enough air," Garuda said with a laugh. Quill shattered the ice, and fired at Garuda, who avoided the bullets easily. He could tell that he didn't have much longer in Goddess Trigger, a minute at best, so he leapt after her. They flew higher and higher into the air, sword clashing against claw, over and over again. Quill slashed her on the chest and one arm, while Garuda clawed him in his stomach.

The blizzard surrounding them slowly let up, and Quill felt that he was losing Goddess Trigger. He pushed himself away from Garuda, and transformed into a hawk, flying back to the ground. His mind was working like sixty, trying to come up with something else to be able to attack Garuda. _I wonder if I could surprise her…she already knows I'm a shape-shifter, but what about…_

"Hey, Windbag!" he called up to Garuda to get her attention, and muttered "Lunar Shape-Shifting Technqiue, Twin-Faced Hero." Silver dust burst off of him, and he transformed…into a girl!

Had Garuda had human facial features, her eyes would have widened, and her jaw would have dropped in surprise. As it was, she just kind of floated there with a stupid look. Girlyquill drew Akelela, and jumped at Garuda. She snapped out of it, and tried to stop him/her, but Akelela sliced through the membranes of her wings, and Garuda went falling to the ground.

Quill turned back into a guy, and smiled. "Gotcha." He drew back Akelela, and stabbed Garuda through the heart. Garuda howled in pain, and her head slammed to the ground. Her body started to dissolve into dust, and the wind howled past Quill, but he stayed still. He was too tired to do otherwise. The wind slowed, and began to swirl, but rather than being violent, it was more strong, energizing him.

The dust that was Garuda swirled up high into the air, and from it, Garuda was reformed, in her original form, that half-dragon, half-dragonfly sort of being. She flew down to Quill, radiating a calming aura. "You are far different than I first thought. Appearances are deceiving. For you, that is quite true, Lunar Exalted." That was certainly true. "Return to your home. Your job is not yet done." She flew into the air, leaving behind a portal for Quill. He went through, and thought, _What did she mean?_

_

* * *

_

_I know, this was a little short, and I'm really sorry. It was all I could do to be able to finish it. My dearest apologies to Quill._

_Next chapter, we'll be seeing dragon vs. sea serpent, that's right, Shelby Plytak vs. Leviathan, Guardian of Water!_


	22. Shelby Vs Leviathan Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. At all. Nada._

_Leviathan is voiced by a somewhat more volatile Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies)_

**Chapter 22: Shelby vs Leviathan Part 1**

_Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean…_

The floor of the temple dedicated to the Guardian of Water was, naturally, covered in water an inch deep. Shelby walked through the water, and stepped up to the doorway. She ran her hand across the door. She looked from side to side in alarm, as the room started to spin around her.

Shelby backed into the center of the room, and the walls spun faster, and started breaking away. By the time it had stopped spinning, Shelby wasn't in the temple. Heck, she wasn't even in the same dimension as the temple.

She stood on a small cliff in the middle of the ocean. Storms raged overhead, and waves crashed against the rock. Shelby's clothes got wet quickly.

"Okay…so I have to fight one of the Black Guardians. Then where is she or he?" Shelby asked herself, looking around everywhere for a sign of her opponent. She stopped, as she felt shaking beneath her feet.

From the waves came a magnificent serpentine being. Her scales were like a million turquoise stones, and her eyes a pair of bright green emeralds. She was as long as three school buses laid end-to-end, and at her widest was as big around as a barrel. Her tail was like a whip, her head like that of a snake. The only part that didn't fit with the rest of the image were her sharp teeth, white as pearls. She gave off an aura as fierce and restless as the sea itself.

"I am Leviathan, Guardian of water," she hissed. "Do not dare to speak in my presence, impure mortal. Filthy half-breed, a corruption of nature!"

Shelby immediately went dragon, and shot at Leviathan, and breathed fire at her. A jet of water burst from the Black Guardian's mouth, canceling out both attacks. "What do you intend to disprove? That you are impure, or you are mortal? Because I will gladly destroy your theories!" She lunged at Shelby, who flew away from those big teeth.

"What gives you the right to call me impure!" Shelby breathed fire again, but another burst of water put out the flames.

"Half-human, half-dragon, which one are you? Both, or neither! Perhaps just a freak of nature!" Shelby was blasted with water and got sent soaring another fifty feet into the air, but she dove back at Leviathan, weaving around a water burst and scratching her along the head, but with Leviathan's size it did almost nothing.

Leviathan twisted and snapped at Shelby, and blasted her with water again. Shelby breathed fire again, and this time the fireball made contact at Leviathan's…neck? It's a snake, it's all neck and tail. She made no sound, but shuddered, and dove back into the brine.

"Not getting away that easily," Shelby said, and let our a ferocious roar. Something even more horrible, as blue as the sea, and just as strong as Leviathan swam through the water beneath her.

This creature dove down, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, both Leviathan and Gyrados came bursting out of the water, the Water and Dragon Poke'Mon keeping up the fight against the Guardian of Water. For a moment, it looked like Gyrados would get the better of her, but it was not to be. Leviathan twisted, and bit him hard on the neck, cutting through skin, muscle, and bone. There was a horrible cracking noise, and Gyrados went limp. He fell down through the water, and never came back up.

"No…you monster!" Shelby cried, and flew at Leviathan. She latched on to Leviathan with her claws, and took a deep breath in, as Leviathan thrashed around randomly, trying in vain to shake her off. Shelby let out an enormous burst of flames at point-blank, burning away at Leviathan. Shelby released, as Leviathan screamed in pain. Her screams, however, were inhuman.

While she had the chance, Shelby came at Leviathan again, and clawed at her maw, releasing drops of bright red blood, though the rain quickly washed it away. Shelby whipped her tail around, bashing Leviathan in the mouth. A tooth was knocked loose from the raw strength, and fell down into the ocean, never to be seen again.

"You cannot defeat me!" Leviathan shouted, and bit Shelby's wing. Shelby fell maybe twenty feet, before straightening out a little. Her wing hurt, but nothing that would keep her grounded. Water sprayed at her, but not as strong as before. It wasn't because Leviathan was weakening, as was Shelby's first thought, but that Leviathan was diving into the sea, which had kicked up some water. She was hiding from her.

"I can do this, I can do this," Shelby said to herself, and dove down into the ocean. While dragon wings are normally meant for flight, they also appeared to work fabulously as swim fins/paddles, powering her through the water far faster than she could have swam in her human form. When she spotted the glow of blue scales, she went faster, and bit down, and clawed, and the blood flowed away into the ocean.

Leviathan shot off, dragging Shelby with her. The dragon girl's lungs were begging for oxygen, but she still held fast. Well, not exactly that far. Almost the opposite, actually. She had her wings outstretched, and she wasn't keeping a death grip, so she was being dragged down Leviathan's length, her claws digging into the Black Guardian's side. Essentially, she was skinning Leviathan alive.

Shelby finally released Leviathan, and swam onwards and upwards. When she reached the surface she gulped in air like she hadn't breathed before, and swam across the surface of the water until she reached the cliff she had started at. She clambered onto the rocks, and shook off some of the water, at the same time keeping a close eye out for Leviathan.

When Leviathan broke the surface, whatever calm demeanor might have been there before was now gone, replaced by absolute rage. All the way down her side was those gouges Shelby had made. Long and ugly, they likely had Leviathan in absolute agony.

"Stupid girl! Stupid beast! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Don't you know any other words than stupid?!"

"I told you to not even speak to me! Impurity, disgustingness, foul thing! I would be doing the world a favor to destroy you!" Leviathan came at Shelby and snapped at her with her big teeth, but Shelby got out of the way just in time. She jumped up to avoid Leviathan again, and breathed burning-hot flames. They seared away at Leviathan again, leaving a burn mark atop her head. Another burst of water blasted Shelby back, but she didn't relent in her assault, ramming into Leviathan side, and clawing at her flesh repeatedly in the same place.

Leviathan snapped at Shelby again, and this time caught her leg, putting a good-sized bite into her thigh. "You, fragile little thing, you shall not get the better of me, you shall see!"

"I get it already, you big fish!"

"Fish? _Fish?!_" Leviathan shrieked. "I am no mere creature of the sea, I am the ruler of the sea! I control it all! A fish, no chance of this! Such a disgusting creature, I am no fish!"

"So she thinks that fish are impure," Shelby said quietly. "Not a very good ruler of the sea, then." _Impure…that's it!!_

_

* * *

A/N: What is Shelby's plan? What does Leviathan fear? How will the Guardian of Water be defeated? Find out all this and more in the next chapter of Author Fighters: The Black Guardians! Which should come a little sooner now that I know that while the internet is your best friend when talking to your online friends, it's your worst enemy when you're trying to write. Distracts you. Yeah..._


	23. Shelby Vs Leviathan Pt 2: Purity

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot._

**Chapter 23: Shelby vs Leviathan Pt. 2: Pure**

Shelby flew across the surface of the water quickly, trying to give herself a little time as Leviathan swam after her. Shelby turned around, and took a deep breath.

As Leviathan raised herself out of the water to attack Shelby, the latter roared insanely loud, sending out a shockwave like Danny Phantom's ghostly wail. Leviathan stiffened momentarily as it hit her, and thrashed in pain, even after Shelby stopped. Shelby took the opportunity to fly back to the rocks.

Leviathan came after her again, but was still a little dizzy. She dove at Shelby, but she flew away, and Leviathan slammed face-first into the rocks.

"Nice one, fish-brain! Or are you a snake, I can't tell?" Shelby taunted. This was her plan, to have Leviathan bash her own brains out. Leviathan dove at her again, and again slammed into the rocks.

"Quiet you! You know nothing!" She sent a blast of water at Shelby, who avoided it easily, though in reality she was getting tired. But she didn't want Leviathan to know that, for obvious reasons.

"Missed me!" Shelby swerved to the right. "Missed me again!" She shot up and away. "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

"I'VE HEARD ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!!!**" **Leviathan roared in a way unlike other beings. A great amount of water began to gather up behind her, forming into a tidal wave taller than most. It crashed down onto the rock, washing Shelby into the sea.

Water pressed at her from all direction. Her lungs begged for air, but there was none. The water spun around her faster and faster, glowing with magic, making the water appear to be fluorescent green.

And suddenly, Shelby felt a drop in her energy. She felt herself change back to her human form. Her body was becoming numb from exhaustion and oxygen deprivation. _This is it…I'm sorry everyone…_

Something nuzzled her arm. There was something rubbery touching her hand. She felt herself rising through the water, and when she broke the surface, she couldn't believe it for a moment. But she was alive.

Shelby looked around, and saw that the rubbery thing was a dolphin. It made a clicking noise, and gestured with its snout, as though to say "Look there!"

Shelby turned, keeping a hand on the dolphin's dorsal fin, and nearly shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Swimming circles was a mako shark, chewing on something that looked suspiciously like…

"My shirt!" Shelby exclaimed, and felt her hood, and sure enough, a chunk had been bitten out of it. On the other hand, this shark was acting kind of friendly. "You must have pulled me out of the water."

The shark gave her a glance like "You think?"

Shelby looked back at the dolphin. "The two of you don't like what she's doing, do you?" The dolphin moved its head back and forth like a no. These things clearly were not normal, more supernatural.

"I'm going to try and stop her," Shelby said. She could see the rocks from before, not too far off. "Will you take me there?"

The dolphin's response was to shoot off like a rocket, with Shelby hanging on for the ride.

She scrambled onto the rocks. "Thank you!" The dolphin clicked, and dove beneath the water. It jumped up, arcing high, before vanishing again beneath the waves.

Shelby climbed back up to the top. Leviathan was gone, but chances were, it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Hey, Leviathan, I'm still alive! I want to talk to you!"

IN a moment, the Guardian of Water herself appeared from the water. "You should be dead. Why are you not?

"Your so-called subject, the beings of the water, helped me," Shelby said defiantly. "They hate what you're doing, poisoning the oceans of the world. This guy, Omega, he's used his malevolence to control you! To…to make you impure."

"Impure? Me? Impossible," Leviathan said, brushing it off.

"It's true. He's made you evil, and those who are evil are between the light and darkness, bad, as you'd put it, stupid."

Leviathan looked at Shelby. "No, no, no, not possible, not possible."

"It's possible, and it's true!"

"I cannot, no, no!" Leviathan slammed her head down on the rocks. "I MUST BE PURE!!!!!!" She slammed against the rocks repeated times, over and over again, the ocean turning scarlet with her blood.

With one final slam, Leviathan lay still. A very sharp spire had torn through her neck(1). Her body shimmered, and dissolved into the water itself, and suddenly, all was still. The waves grew calm, and the winds no longer howled as they had before.

Shelby breathed heavily, as Leviathan was reformed from the water. "I…must apologize," Leviathan said, now simply Guardian, not Black Guardian. "You defeated me by my own sense of superiority. I was wrong. Go now, and forever live happily." She bent down, and touched the tip of her nose--or whatever fish have--to Shelby's forehead. She was consumed in light, and vanished.

* * *

_(1) Well, that's new. The bad guy killing themselves. Yay, I did something original!_

_So Shelby defeats Leviathan with her strength, and with the help of the creatures of the sea. Next time, see TLSoulDude face off against Ramuh, the Guardian of Lighting!_


	24. TLSoulDude Vs Ramuh Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own TLSoulDude, or Ramuh. I only own the plot._

_Ramuh, in this, is voiced by Sir Christopher Lee, who did Ansem the Wise/DiZ in Kingdom Hearts II and Dr. Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory._

**Chapter 24: TLSoulDude vs Ramuh Part 1**

From the temple dedicated to the Guardian of Lighting, there came the loud BOOM of the doorway being pulled open by a certain hedgehog's telekinesis. TLSoulDude brushed his hands off, and ran through the doorway, and was consumed in light.

TL ran out, to find himself in the middle of a dry field, that stretched on for miles. No trees grew, and the grass was brown and, well, dead. Every once in a while, TL saw a scorch mark, a circle a foot in diameter, just blackened grass.

"Was it absolutely necessary to break down the door?" said a powerful voice, with a British accent. TL spun around, and saw a man, six-and-a-half feet tall, who wore a long black cloak. He had a white beard that went down past his waist, and held a staff with a red gem in the tip of it. He was hovering an inch above the ground. "Electrocuting it would have done just as well."

"Subtlety isn't my strong point," TL said simply.

"Very well. I suppose that I shouldn't be very subtle either, considering my element," the man said. "I am Ramuh, Guardian of Lightning. And you are?"

"TLSoulDude, Ultima Master of Fictron," TL said, readying himself. He almost immediately got zapped with a bolt of lightning. He coughed, and shook the soot off.

Ramuh laughed. "Nice try." He raised his staff, and light flashed, but TL jumped back, barely dodging it. Another few lightning bolts came at him, but he managed to dodge them.

"Who knew all those hours of Final Fantasy X would pay off?"(1) TL sent a burst of red lighting at Ramuh, who deflected it. TL blasted him with a neural disruption burst, but it only stunned him for a moment. Ramuh skimmed over the ground backwards, and took his staff in both hands. He brought it down, slamming the tip against the ground. Blasts of electricity jetted through the ground in all directions, one knocking TL off his feet.

He jumped back up, and charged his power. He sent another neural disruption blast at Ramuh, stunning him long enough to blast him with red lightning. Ramuh countered with a bolt of lightning that could split hairs--or quills, in TL's case. He barely avoided it.

TL bit his thumb, and made hand seals. "Fictor Style: Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palm on the ground, and Sonic the Hedgehog appeared.

"Let's go!" Sonic said, and both of them shot off at high speed. They zig-zagged around Ramuh, trying to confuse the Black Guardian, and Sonic went straight at Ramuh, and rolled up, slamming into him at high speed, as TL created his aura arm, and punched Ramuh with the strength of ten body builders.

Ramuh scowled, and raised his staff. A maelstrom of power erupted from the sky, and blasted Sonic high into the air, and out of sight. TL winced. "Ouch." He got blasted himself with lightning, but managed to keep from flying off.

TL sent a surge of red lightning at Ramuh, who blocked it with his staff. His normal electricity surged out, countering TL's own. Both of them pushed their power as high as they could, an orb of pulsing lightning in the center, slowly growing bigger. Either one of them had to give, or the orb would explode into both of their faces.

Or, TL would quit adding more power, draw the UFO blade, and knock it back at Ramuh. Which he did. Ramuh swung his staff, sending the orb back at TL, who sent it straight back. It went too fast, and exploded in Ramuh's face before he could react in time.

"Stupid hedgehog," Ramuh grunted as he stood up. "Thunder Storm." A powerful lightning bolt struck TL, and he started seeing double…triple…quadruple. He blinked a few times, but still saw six of Ramuh. He tried hitting one with a burst of lighting, but it did nothing. The lightning passed through harmlessly, but it didn't vanish.

TL snapped his fingers as he got an idea. He created his aura arm, and swung it around through all of the copies, before it finally stopped on one. He sent a neural disruption blast at the one it stopped on, knocking Ramuh back. The Guardian of Lightning quickly recovered, as the copies vanished. "Thundaja!" Ramuh pointed his staff upwards, as a bolt of lightning flew into the clouds above them. There was a loud BOOM! Ramuh let his gaze rest on TL, and he smirked.

"Oh boy."

The spell, powerful on its own, could strengthen storm clouds, creating a hundred bolts of lightning just like it. The bolts would go to wherever the original spell caster had originally willed them to go. So the pain that TL felt…horrible.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

---

When the maelstrom had finally let up, TL was on his knees, leaning against the UFO blade, to avoid falling over completely. Ramuh had a triumphant look on his face. He stepped up to TL. "You honestly thought you could beat me?"

"Yeah, I did," TL said, breathing hard. "And I still do think that." A pink aura started to gather around TL, and he growled. He pulled his sword from the dirt, as he grew taller, stronger, and more ferocious. He went at Ramuh with all of his strength. It was all that he could do to block the Fictorian's strikes with his staff. TL broke through all shields, ignored the bursts of electricity that hit him, and just stayed focused on attacking Ramuh. TL managed to land a final punch in Ramuh's jaw, before he reverted to normal.

TL jumped back, and threw the UFO blade at Ramuh, the sword burying itself in Ramuh's shoulder, and the old man grunting in pain. TL raised his right hand, and blasted Ramuh with electricity, the sword acting as a conductor to make sure every drop of electricity hit him.

Ramuh grabbed the UFO blade, and pulled it from his flesh. He threw it aside, and raised his staff. "You will pay for that!!" he swore, sending lightning spells at TL, who managed to dodge most of them.

"Can you fight at all without that staff?" TL asked suddenly, as he dodged another bolt of lightning.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Because if you can't, then this could be a good solution." TL held his hand out, and Ramuh's staff glowed. It was dragged out of his hand by TL's telekinesis, and TL grabbed it. "Later, sucker!" He ran away from Ramuh as fast as he could.

Ramuh stood there a moment, his jaw hanging open. "I really HATE THAT HEDGEHOG!!!"(2) he screamed to the high heavens, before going after him.

* * *

_(1) In the game, to get a special weapon, you had to dodge 200 lightning bolts in a row in a certain level._

_(2) This line almost had me have Ramuh be voiced by the guy who does Eggman ^^_

_Yeah...you may be wondering how you dodge a bolt of lightning...cartoon physics. That's it, cartoon physics._

_So, TL manages to survive being hit by a mighty Thundaja maelstrom, and steals away Ramuh's staff. Next time, see TL take down the Guardian of Lightning, it's going to be explosive! *lightning flashes*_


	25. TLSoulDude Vs Ramuh Pt 2: Nothing Left

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 25: TLSoulDude vs. Ramuh Part 2: Nothing Left**

TL kept running across the fields, as Ramuh flew--literally, he was flying--after him as fast as he could. TL had a tight grip on the staff, because he really did not want to get blasted again. Ramuh could still do spells without it, but they were far weaker than with it.

He had already tried to break it, but nothing worked. Then again, it was kind of difficult to break metal apart when running at top speed. TL looked back for a moment at Ramuh, and raised the staff up, holding it around its middle. He dug it into the ground, spun around on it, and flew at Ramuh. His boot left an imprint in the Black Guardian's face, and knocked him back ten feet.

While Ramuh was dazed, TL grabbed the staff, and started pushing as much of his red lightning into it as possible. His theory was that he could overload it with power, shattering it to pieces. It didn't exactly go how he had planned. Instead, the electricity flowed through the staff, magnified its intensity in the orb set into the tip of it, and shot out, zapping Ramuh so badly that his skeleton showed for a split-second.

"Okay, that was awesome," TL said, and did it again. That is, he tried to do it again. Just a slight spark came from himself, and even magnified, it didn't do much. Out of power. "Oh crud."

"Oh, yes," Ramuh said. "Out of power, so you have nothing left. Give me my staff, and I will grant you a quick death, TLSoulDude."

TL thought about it for a moment. "Nah." He ran at Ramuh, kicked off of him to get a little higher, and threw the staff high into the air. He landed. "I don't have nothing left, actually." TL started to glow with a radiant light. His eyes turned jade green, and his voice attained a light British accent.

"Prepare to meet Archangel Form," he said, as his fur turned gold, and silver wings burst from his back. The UFO blade changed form to more like that of the Buster Sword. Archangel TL took off from the ground at high speed, going after the staff. When it came close enough, he drew the UFO, and sliced right through it, leaving the two halves to fall to the earth. TL could hear Ramuh's screams of fear. Without the staff, he was nearly defenseless.

TL flew back down to the ground, but remained in Archangel Form. "You want to give up?"

Ramuh went over his options. "Thunder!" A burst of electricity zapped TL. It did almost nothing to him. He raised an eyebrow, as though to say 'Are you sure?'

TL flew at Ramuh, and cut him in the arm with the UFO. He held out a hand, and blue lightning flew at him, followed up with another cut. Ramuh skimmed across the ground, away from TL, and grabbed on half of his staff. The other half he produced from under his cloak. He'd grabbed it when TL wasn't looking.

The next time TL sent a burst of lightning at him, Ramuh held the two pieces of the staff together. The heat caused the two pieces to effectively weld together, giving him his weapon back. He sent a burst of electricity at TL, who dodged it, and flew at Ramuh. Staff and sword clashed together. Ramuh was not only a magnificent mage, but he was decent at close-range fighting. He was managing to keep up with TL by some miracle.

Each time their weapons met, sparks flew through the air. Ramuh would occasionally land a hit on TL, augmented with lightning, while TL would strike Ramuh and give him a small cut, but neither opponent was gaining much ground. And TL was running out of time in Archangel Form, he had maybe a minute left before it ran out.

He finally saw it, a small opening. TL parried a strike, and stabbed the UFO into the right side of Ramuh's stomach. Crimson blood flowed from the wound. It would be impossible to heal under any circumstances.

Ramuh saw the wound, and stumbled back. "How, how did you beat me? It's impossible!" He coughed, and blood came onto his hand. He was beaten, and dying. "Stupid…hedgehog…" He tried to attack TL one last time, but missed completely. He fell to the ground, his flesh dissolving away, his bones turning to dust. His robes vanished, like they were never there, and the only remnant that Ramuh, Guardian of Lightning, had ever been there, was the blood-stained staff, still laying on the ground, in a puddle of red liquid.

"That…was gruesome," TL said. He reverted to his normal appearance. "I gotta wonder if the others saw something like that when their opponents died. Because that was really disgusting!"

"We get the point, already, it was one of the top five most gruesome deaths." TL spun around, and saw that Ramuh had reformed, with some differences. His robe was white, and his beard was a little more neat. Glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. He was no longer one of the Black Guardians.

Ramuh walked past TL, and picked up his staff. The blood was cleansed from it, and the gem in the tip of it, which had previously been red, turned gold. Ramuh looked back at TL. "To think that a being such as you would defeat me. Interesting, very interesting."

"Gave it my all, that's what I do!" TL said, and grinned.

Ramuh seemed amused by this, but said nothing concerning it. "Very well." He held out a hand, and created a portal. "This will return you to your home. And…well done. Few have done what you just did. Farewell, TLSoulDude, Ultima Master of Fictron."

TL nodded, and passed through the portal.

* * *

_A/N: Next time, see two masters of ice face off! Kitten Hachi-chan vs. Shiva, Guardian of Ice!_


	26. Kitten HachiChan vs Shiva Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. Whatever._

_Shiva is voiced by Paula Tiso, who voiced Lulu in Final Fantasy X._

**Chapter 26: Kitten Hachi-chan vs Shiva, Guardian of Ice**

Kitten shivered. "So cold…what is this place, the South Pole!"

_Antarctica…_

She ran across the floor of the temple to warm up a little, and pulled open the door. When she stepped through, she found herself in a cave of some sort. Icicles hung down from the ceiling , and the floor and walls were covered with a layer of ice.

"So cold…"

"If thou canst not take this chill, I fail to see why though art the Sorceress of Ice." A woman in a long, light blue shawl appeared. Kitten couldn't see her face, but she looked like she was barefoot. "What is thine name?"

"Kitten Hatchigamagutchi," Kitten said confidently.

"Quite a mouthful. I am Shiva, Guardian of Ice. Doth thou truly wish to engage me? I shan't hold back from the start."

"Yeah, I have to fight you." Kitten spread her stance, and grew serious.

Beneath the hood of her shawl, Shiva smirked. "Very well. But heed this warning: I shall not show mercy to thee." Shiva straightened, and cast off her shawl.

Shiva's skin was light blue, as was her hair, tied into several long and thick braids. She wore very little clothing, just enough to conceal her modesty. She was around seven feet tall, and had a gaze that cut through one like the biting winds of a blizzard.

Kitten swallowed, trying to ignore the cold and her nerves. She created an ice spear, and charged at Shiva. She threw it, but the Ice Queen avoided it easily. Shiva brought a foot around, and caught Kitten's shoulder. It stung a little, but nothing bad.

Shiva raised a hand up, and brought it down. An icicle almost skewered Kitty. As Shiva brought down more icicles, Kitten moved around, making it to a place where there were none on the ceiling. She sent quick bursts of ice at Shiva, who deflected them with a practiced hand. A few blasts hit Shiva, but they were few and far between.

Kitten held her hands a few inches away from each other. Ice started to form into an orb, and Kitten pushed it at Shiva. The orb exploded apart, blasting Shiva into the air and ten feet away. Her arms were covered with ice an inch thick.

Kitten had taken to the ground, to avoid getting blasted. She stood back up, and created another ice spear. She threw it at Shiva perfectly. The Black Guardian saw it coming, and broke apart the ice on her arms. She grabbed the ice spear out of the air, and broke it over her knee.

"Very well. I suppose I must use 'that'," Shiva said. She picked up her shawl, and threw it into the air. It burst outward, becoming a thousand snowflakes. They flew over to Kitten and started spinning around her. At first, it seemed to do nothing. But at the snowflakes went faster and faster, Kitten couldn't see anything through the white. This technique, whatever it was, effectively blinded her to attacks, and the wind made so much noise that she could barely see anything.

She felt pain in her arm, stomach. She touched her left arm lightly. A needle of some sort, buried into her arm. She tugged the ice needle out, but felt another couple in her right shoulder, and three in her leg. Kitten braced herself for more needles, but there were none. Instead she got…a boot to the head. Minus the boot. Kitten got knocked to the ground, and scrambled to get up, but she felt a sharp pain in the side of her stomach. It was a knife.

_Okay, focus, getting hysterical won't help you,_ Kitten thought. She watched carefully, checking for any disruption in the snow--_There!_ Kitten brought an arm up, creating an ice sword as she swung. The snow vanished, revealing Shiva. The Guardian of Ice had a horrible gash along her stomach and chest. Kitty nearly swooned from the sight of blood, but managed to stay standing.

"Thou…thou broke my Diamond Dust." Shiva shuddered. "One last…thou must be a villain, for this to work."

"I'm not a villain, I'm a good guy!"

Shiva sighed. "Thou shalt see." She raised her arms, and flecks of ice and snow rose up, and came into a group in the center of the room. They materialized into a glittering full-length mirror.

Kitten came closer to the mirror. She didn't look nearly as bad as she felt. When she was close enough to touch it, she stopped. She reached out slowly, and the surface of the mirror rippled. Kitten jumped back, but it was too late. A light-blue hand reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into the mirror!"

Shiva came to the side Kitten had been on, and sighed. "A villain, one who is stupid, foolish, too curious for their own good." She looked at Kitten, trapped in the mirror, pounding at the glass in vain. She was yelling, but no sound came out. "Thou art truly a villain to fall for my Demon Mirror Technique." A single tear rolled down Shiva's cheek, and she caught it on her index finger.

The tear floated off her hand, and touched the mirror. The surface began to freeze over completely. Kitten's screams of fear went unheard. Shiva walked away even before the mirror had frozen completely. She had used this technique few times before, but none of those times did the person caught, escape. Her back turned to the mirror, she snapped her fingers, and the ice shattered to pieces.

"It is done," Shiva said emotionlessly.

"Are you sure?"

* * *

_A/N: You may be wondering why Shiva has an Olde English kind of thing going on. It's because...I don't know. I just want to, and I'm the author, so what I say, goes!_

_So, perhaps Kitten has done what none else could! Escape from Shiva's greatest (and cheapest, don't forget cheapest) technique! What will succeed? Pure instinct, or centuries of experience? Speed, or strength? Find out next time!_


	27. Kitten vs Shiva Pt 2: Thou Art Strange

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 27: Kitten Hachi-chan vs Shiva Pt.2: Thou art a Strange Person**

Shiva was sure that she had heard Kitten's voice, though that should have been impossible. So when she turned, she expected to see the young woman lying in a pool of her own blood, to die moments later. Shiva was half-right.

Kitten stood there, her clothes stained red from blood. And yet, she looked calm. Her lips curled in a cruel smile. "Thanks for that. Because of what you did, all of my yang chakra, my light-aligned chakra, has been cut off almost completely. Too bad for you." Kitten spun upwards, becoming her dragon form.

Shiva was taken aback by the sudden burst of power from Kitten. "This power, restrained by the light in thy heart, but freed by the properties of the mirror," Shiva said. To herself, she said "Will I survive this battle?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Kitten came at Shiva at high speed. Shiva brought her arms up to protect herself, layering them with ice. As Kitten's claws hit the ice, chips flew, but Shiva was unhurt. The ice on her arms spread up, creating icy claws. She attacked Kitten, punching and kicking and clawing with each opening. She never landed a hit.

Kitten whipped around, catching Shiva with her tail, and Shiva crashed into a side wall. _She shouldn't be this powerful. She must still be drawing on the light, if but only as a battery. Which means she could be restored to normal._ Shiva got into position.

---

In her own mind, Kitten was fighting a shadow version of herself. Each time the doppelganger landed a hit, she felt a drain on her energy, and her shadow-self seemed to get stronger.

Shadow Kitten punched her straight in the chest. Kitten got knocked across the mindscape. She felt a drop in her energy as she stood back up, but she still went back to a fighting position.

"You're just delaying the inevitable. Darkness is going to claim you here."

"You know, you're almost as bad as Inu!" Kitten knocked her shadow down with a sweeping kick.

---

Kitten changed back to her human form, and created an ice sword. She swiped it through the air repeatedly. Shiva blocked a few, but the speed and ferocity of the attack didn't allow her to regenerate the ice layered on her arms. The sword came down another time, sliced through the ice, and cut deeply into Shiva's arm.

The Guardian of Ice jumped back from Kitten, as the latter broke her sword apart. Shards of ice floated up around them. With just a small movement, Kitten sent shards from completely different spots straight at Shiva. While a Jedi might be able to dodge them, Shiva could not. Ice shards came from every direction, and hit Shiva precisely.

"Hey look, I made a porcupine." Kitten giggled at her own joke.

Shiva's eyes flashed, and she snarled. She thrusted her hands out, sending a wave of cold air over Kitten. She was completely consumed in ice, until she was frozen solid.

Shiva sighed, and came closer to the ice block that was Kitten Hachi-chan--a Kittensicle!

*screen freezes*

"What the…I swear to god, I didn't write that! I'd never go that far for a joke!"

"3 paragraphs ago you did a porcupine joke."

"Goddess! Stay out of my stuff!"

*continues*(1)

She laid a hand on the surface of the ice. Through it, Kitten's eyes were looking directly at Shiva. The Black Guardian jumped back as the ice exploded. Kitten stood straight. Shiva was injured severely.

"I think, I win."

---

"It's not over yet!" Kitten kicked her shadow-self in the head. She made ice cover her hands, and grabbed her opponent's arms. All at once, she let her power flow out, the ice on her hands protecting her. She kept a strong grip on her shadow-self's arms, not letting her escape. Kitten allowed herself to look only when the struggling stopped.

Shadow Kitten had been frozen solid, from the raw magic in Kitten's system released without a pause. Kitty felt a little sick, but knew she had to do it to save herself.

---

She blinked. As soon as Kitten's good chakra came back into control, she gasped at the damage. Icicles had been knocked to the ground, and there were people-shaped gouges in the walls.

"So, thou won both battles. Here, and in thy mind." Kitten turned, and Shiva stood a few feet away. "In the time it has taken thee to awaken, I died, and was reformed. Thou art a strange person." Shiva picked up her shawl--it had reformed after Shiva used Diamond Dust--walked over, and gave it to Kitten. "Consider it a gift. It can protect thee or any who wear it from all cold. Keep it, or do not, I do not care. Fare thee well, Sorceress of Ice." Kitten was transported from the cave, back to Los Angeles, with few physical marks of her ordeal left.

* * *

_(1) Don't even ask. You don't want to know._

_So, Kitten overcomes both Shiva and her dark self. And thus ends the sixth fight versus the Black Guardians, and the battles against the Guardians of what we think of as normal elements. Next time, see the final Fictor Brother, Lunatic the 121st, go up against Orthos, Guardian of Comic Relief and Insanity! BWAHAHAHAHA!_

_You'll understand the laugh later. Don't worry, I'm not crazy. I'm not insane. Right? Right?!_


	28. Lunatic 121 Vs Orthos Pt 1

**Chapter 28: Lunatic 121 Vs. Orthos Part 1**

_The Everglades National Park, Florida…_

"YAAGH!!" Lunatic the 121st landed with a splash. He came up from the water, and spat out a mouthful of mud. He swam to a bit of (semi) dry land, and shook his hair dry. It immediately spiked up again, defying all known laws of physics, and cosmetology.

"You sound like D-Dude, can we just find the door already?" Loony asked. Somebody's a little cranky today! "I'll show you cranky. Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" And he blasted somebody about ten feet to his right, who let out a shriek of surprise.

Loony found the temple, dedicated to the Guardian of Comic Relief and Insanity. Within, he found the door waiting for him, and stepped through.

He looked down. "Aw, man, not again!" he said, when he found that he was knee-deep in swampy water. Loony looked up, and barely missed getting nailed with a faceful of…ink?

"GWAHAHAHA!!!" laughed an insane voice. Another burst of ink came from nowhere, and his Loony in the chest. It appeared to be nothing more than normal ink.

It was then that the source of the laughter leapt out of the marsh. It was some sort of big, purple octopus-like creature. However, it--he?--had human-like eyes, and crooked yellow teeth. He was chuckling to him self, but laughed aloud when he saw Lunatic.

"HAHA!! GOTCHA IN TWO!! NEW RECORD!!!" the being said, far more loudly than was necessary. With one tentacle, he reached out, and slapped Loony into the water. While it would normally be easy for him to avoid the octopus, the ink, it turned out, hardened in a few seconds.

On the plus side, it also looked like the ink dissolved in water. Loony came jumping out of the water, and grabbed a tree branch. He scrambled onto it like a monkey.

The octopus laughed. "Dude, I got you good! Name's Orthos, Guardian of Comic Relief and INSANITY!"

"Hey, wait a minute, that's my shtick!" Loony wobbled on his branch, and managed to remain standing. He summoned his chakrams, and threw one at Orthos. Two things happened. First, Orthos swam away from it. Second, Loony went toppling into the water.

Orthos laughed. It was really starting to get on the Fictorian Ninja's nerves. Orthos squirted Loony with ink, before hitting him with his tentacle again.

Loony leaped back up from the water--again--and started making hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" He blew a fireball at Orthos, but the Black Guardian swam beneath the water, avoiding it completely. The water started to steam a little from the heat. Loony got an idea from this.

He looked around him, keeping an eye out as he made hand seals. "Fire Release: Small Fire Stream!" He sent a stream of flames straight at the water, causing it to quickly evaporate into steam. By the time the steam had drifted away, Orthos had no clue where Loony was. At least, until the nutty ninja shouted out to him "Hey, Nutjob! Laugh at this!" Orthos looked up, and saw Loony in a tree above. He made a hand seal.

While the steam shield had been up, a dozen different exploding tags had been placed around Orthos. So, consequently, the explosion from the tags was one worthy of Deidara.

Orthos was sent twenty feet in the air, before landing with a splash. Loony jumped down into the water, and grinned. "I got _you_ good!"

"But it's not over yet, man," Orthos said. He suddenly came at Loony at high speed, whipping his tentacles around. Loony called his chakrams back to him, and blocked the attacks as best as he could. But Orthos let him have it, a pair of tentacles hitting him straight in the stomach, sending him back into a tree. Sprays of ink covered his entire body except for his head, pinning him to the tree. Loony struggled to free himself, to no avail. Orthos laughed again.

"Please don't eat me! I don't taste good!"

"I'm not gonna eat 'cha, but the mosquitoes might!" Orthos attacked Loony without hesitation. Loony only got free from it when the tree finally fell over from the force of the attacks.

Lunatic stood up dizzily. "I am not okay." He shook himself, and got an eye back on Orthos again. He avoided everything that came his way, as he tried to hatch a plan. There was one thing he could try, but he hadn't really done it before. "Never know unless you try." He drew out a pair of shuriken. He ducked under a tentacle, and threw them at Orthos. Orthos dodged them both, but Lunatic just took out another few. He kept throwing shuriken, and finally stopped.

"What? Give up? Realized that you can't hit me? C'mon, I'll kill you quick if you give up!"

Loony sighed. "Alright, I know when to give up. And this time, is not one of those times." He raised a hand, and it appeared that he hand a couple dozen strands of wire. He pulled them back, and each one tightened, having been attached to a shuriken, which were all stuck in the spots around Orthos. "Go ahead and move. You'll get cut more than a Turkey on Thanksgiving."

"Dude, what kind of joke is that?"

"Don't question me, I'm the one pulling the, ah, strings here." Loony pulled the wires pointedly.

"Lame. But ya know what isn't lame? This ain't all I got," Orthos said with a grin. He squirted ink, this time from his mouth, at the wires. The metal dissolved on contact, and the wires were quickly loose enough for Orthos to move again.

"Check this out, man." Orthos started to spasm, and laughed. He began to grow bigger, and at least two more tentacles grew. By the time he had stopped growing, he was now far larger than Lunatic, and he now had a third eye on his forehead. "CHECK ME OUT! PREPARE FOR PWNAGE!!!"

"I'm never going to look at sushi the same way again," Lunatic merely said.


	29. Lunatic Vs Orthos Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 29: Lunatic 121 vs. Orthos Part 2: An Insult to Insanity**

For the next five minutes after Orthos transformed, Loony pretty much just got knocked around like a sandbag. Orthos wasn't even using his ink anymore, but it was still impossible for Lunatic to keep up.

"Right," Loony said, "time to bring out the big guns." The next time he was sent into a tree, he came back out with his hair a bit wilder, and he looked a bit older. "Taste my Ultima Form, octopus!"

He made a single hand seal. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu!" A stream of fire chased after Orthos, even changing direction when Orthos did, before finally blasting into him at high speed. Orthos came back slightly charred, which for him was not a good thing.

"Let's see ya match this." Orthos sprayed ink everywhere, a bit landing on Lunatic's arm. When he tried to wash it off, it stayed, but still solidified. "That's right, this stuff doesn't come off with water this time!" He blew a raspberry at Loony.

"Whatever, it doesn't stop me from beating you. Fire Release: Running Fire Jutsu." Rings of fire shot out at Orthos, and very few actually made contact. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The fireball collided straight into Orthos, but the Black Guardian was then able to directly attack Lunatic with a spray of ink. It solidified on contact, holding Lunatic completely still. He looked at the ink, considered it for a moment, then with a single movement, broke it apart into fragments.

Orthos's eye twitched. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Nope, and I'm not even done yet." Loony summoned his chakrams, and attacked Orthos at high speed, at the same time pushing chakra through the soles of his feet to stay on top of the water. Orthos was just barely managing to stay out of the Fictorian's way. Flames covered his chakrams, and Lunatic threw them both. They both exploded in flames on contact.

"Now, let's kick this up a notch!" Lunatic quickly transformed into his second-state Ultima Form, Blaze Vein. Fire burst from his palms, quickly spreading to all around him, charring the swamp to ashes.

By the time it all stopped, all the trees and bushes were gone, and a lot of the water in the spot he was in had evaporated from the heat produced. Blaze Vein grinned wickedly, as Orthos--charred like he'd been on the barbeque--backed away from him.

"C'mon, we're friends, you don't have to, ah, kill me like this, eh? Please, I've got a wife and two kids!" Orthos pleaded. "I'll do anything!"

"You're an insult to people who are really insane," Blaze Vein said. He made a shadow clone, and in his hand, chakra started to swirl around. The shadow clone combined its own chakra with it, and the Rasengan slowly grew bigger, and more unstable from the fire chakra.

He pushed the fire-augmented Rasengan at Orthos. "RASENBOMB!"

_Virginia, Real World…_

Two boys--apparently brothers--sat playing a videogame. The younger brother was winning. By a lot.

The younger brother, Ryan Shygm, sniffed the air. "What smells like burnt octopus?"

The older brother, Ken Shygm, said "How would you know what burnt octopus smells like?"

Ryan hesitated for a moment before answering. "Excellent point, never mind."

_Back in the swamp…_

Lunatic had transformed back to himself. "Thank God that's over. Now then, how do I get outta here…"

"Like this!" Lunatic looked down at his feet, and a portal opened up in the ground.

"Bugger," he said, and fell through screaming.

Orthos--now reformed--walked over to the portal, and shouted down into it "Have a nice trip, little buddy! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ah, I crack myself up." He looked around at what used to be his swamp, and sighed. "Yep, I got a lot of work to do. Wonder if Leviathan would help a poor guy out…"

* * *

_A/N: Oh god my length sucks...only a little over 700 words, goddamit this sucks. So need to do better on that._

_The guys in the real world are the real-world versions of Lunatic (Ryan Shygm) and TL (Ken Shygm)._

_Next time, see DarkGuitarGoddess face off against Ixion, Guardian of Storms! Let's all hope that I do better on that one..._


	30. DarkGuitarGoddess vs Ixion Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Ixion is voiced by Lawrence Fishburn, also known as Morpheus (The Matrix). Hey, in FFX, the Fayth of Ixion was an adult man, and when he sang the Hymn of the Fayth, he had a deep voice._

**Chapter 30: DarkGuitarGoddess vs. Ixion Part 1**

DarkGuitarGoddess ran out onto the battlefield, keyblade in hand. It looked like she was on the summit of a mountain, with the top cut away almost completely. Overhead, wind howled, and lightning crackled loudly. It smelled of ozone.

A bolt of lightning struck the rock, and started to change shape. When the light cleared, and Goddess was able to look, there now stood what appeared to be a unicorn, though it couldn't be further from beautiful or majestic. It was skeletal, almost no flesh or skin, and its horn was bent somewhat. It had burning red eyes, not dissimilar to an angry bull. Its mane and tail were matted horribly, and had it had human features, it would have been scowling.

"So, you are the one who has come to face me." The voice that came from it didn't seem to fit. He had a deep voice yet smooth voice. It was almost operatic in tone. "I am Ixion. Guardian of Storms. Prepare yourself."

Ixion charged at Goddess, who quickly brought her keyblade up to block. Ixion's horn met the Cutting Note, and Goddess was pushed back a few feet, before she rolled to the side. She held the shaft gently, and started plucking at the strings. She let the notes come to her naturally. When Ixion tried to attack her, she just dodged, or knocked the horn away.

A bolt of lightning flew down, and hit Goddess's keyblade. A string broke apart. "Okay, not cool!" _And I have to wait until I get an opening to fix it._

Goddess charged at Ixion, and sliced upward. Ixion blocked with his horn, and fired a blast of electricity at her. She jumped to avoid it, kicked off his horn, and in the air she made a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Another Goddess appeared, and one landed on each side of Ixion. They raised their keyblades in the air. "Thundara!" Small bursts of electricity hit Ixion from each side.

"Hmph," he grunted, and whipped his horn through the air. Razor-sharp bursts of wind shot out, and cut the shadow clone apart.

Goddess tried a Fira spell, but Ixion dodged it, only to counter again. She took a deep breath, and screamed loud enough it could be heard miles away, thanks to her ability to push chakra into her vocal chords.

Ixion's ears were ringing from the scream, so Goddess took the opportunity to cast Blizzard. Ixion broke the ice apart easily, and hit Goddess with a bolt of lightning.

"Ow," Goddess said simply. "Fine, bringing out the big guns, eh?" Goddess reached behind her back. "Then say hello to my leetle friend!" She then pulled out…a little girl. Emphasis on 'little'. She was about six inches tall, but otherwise looked like a normal seven-year-old girl. She pushed up her glasses from the tip of her nose. "Uh, hi," she said shyly.

Ixion couldn't help it. What started as a chuckle, turned into a deep laugh. If this was really Goddess's greatest weapon, he'd destroy her and her 'leetle friend' easily.

"Wow, talk about a jerk, am I right, Bree?" Goddess looked at Bree, the little girl, and her eyes widened.

Bree jumped out of her hand, ran over to Ixion, and started jumping up and down on his head. "Don't make fun of me, don't make fun of me, I don't like people who make fun of me!!!"

While Ixion dealt with Bree, Goddess made another shadow clone. "One hand for power, two for rotation. You heard what that DJ guy said, if I kill Ixion he'll be resurrected." Chakra swirled in her palm at high speed. "Alright. Bree, move!"

"Got it!" Bree jumped away, giving Goddess a clear shot. As long as she hit, the secondary burst would send Ixion over the edge of the cliff.

She charged at Ixion, and shouted out "Rasengan!" Just before impact, she closed her eyes, as she always tried to do before she made the finisher. However, it wasn't really necessary.

Ixion's voice came from behind her. "Oh, so the Rasengan. Not quite fast enough to catch me, though." Goddess managed to trip over herself in surprise, and the Rasengan burst apart.

Goddess rolled onto her back, and summoned her keyblade just in time to prevent herself from being skewered.

"Please let this work," Goddess said, and with her own weight, kicked herself off the ground, using the momentum to stab the point of Cutting Note in Ixion's eye. He whinnied in his pain.

"Holy crap it worked!" She held off her own celebrating for the moment, and black fire gathered in one hand. "Dark Fire!" It flew at Ixion at high speed, and hit his side.

"Aeroga!" A burst of wind buffeted Goddess, making her slip along the rocks. She stabbed the tip of her keyblade into the ground, and held on tightly.

As the wind finally died down, Goddess didn't miss a beat. "Dark Thunder!"

A bolt of lightning zapped Ixion. He shook it off as best he could. "You can use Dark Magic. How is this possible?"

"Always been able to, but only 1st Tier." Goddess drew out a kunai, and threw it at Ixion. It missed by a mile, to sail right over Ixion's head. "Note to self: aim."

"Give up, you can't beat me." Ixion blasted her with lightning. "Too young. Too inexperienced. Really, you're too weak for me to spend the time to kill you."

He lowered his head, to pierce Goddess's heart with his horn. "You won't even kill someone if there's another option. Goodbye, DarkGuitarGoddess."

A moment later, he regretted his monologue, as it made him look very stupid. The moment his horn touched Goddess, she was consumed in a puff of smoke, and was replaced by Bree, who was now sitting on his horn. "…Hi…" She jumped off, and ran over to the other side of the battlefield where Goddess was waiting. Bree jumped onto her shoulder, and Goddess grinned. She now held the Cutting Note like a real electric guitar. This was her time to show what she was really made of.

"Time for Round 2, Ixion. The fight's just begun! Let's get ready to rock and roll!" Bree whispered in her ear. "Fine, I'll hurry it up. A-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four!"

* * *

_A/N: So, in the midst of a storm, Goddess's fight with Ixion continues! Next time, see the fight go on!_


	31. DarkGuitarGoddess Vs Ixion Pt 2

**Chapter 31: DarkGuitarGoddess vs. Ixion Part 2**

Lightning flashed, and struck the tip of the Cutting Note. Goddess's fingers plucked at the strings in rhythm, before she attacked Ixion with all of her strength. She whipped her keyblade around, catching Ixion's horn, and he knocked her sword aside, before scratching her in the shoulder.

_**Oh, life, it's bigger**_

_**It's bigger than you**_

_**And you are not me**_

_**The lengths that I will go to**_

_**The distance in your eyes**_

_**Oh no I've said too much**_

_**I've said enough**_

Electricity burst from the tip of Ixion's horn, and barely missed Goddess, who sent a burst of dark fire at Ixion. He stepped away from it, and light flashed around him. The clouds lowered, becoming a thick mist she couldn't see through.

_**That's me in the corner**_

_**That's me in the spotlight, I'm**_

_**Losing my religion**_

_**Trying to keep up with you**_

_**And I don't know if I can do it**_

_**Oh no I've said too much**_

_**I've said enough**_

_**I thought I heard you laughing**_

_**I thought I heard you sing**_

_**I think I thought I saw you try**_

Goddess tried to keep her guard up, but there was only so much she could do. She cried out in pain, as blades of wind struck her arms. She turned around, and saw that some of the mist had dissolved away, though there was still some left. "That's it!" She whipped her keyblade around. "Aero!" The wind blew all of the mist away, leaving Ixion vulnerable for a moment. Goddess took the moment, and cut him deeply, across his side.

_**Every whisper**_

_**Of every waking hour I'm**_

_**Making my confessions**_

_**Trying to keep an eye on you**_

_**Like a hurt, lose, and blinded fool, fool**_

_**Oh no I've said too much**_

_**I've said enough**_

"Don't think this is over just yet," Ixion said. He donkey-kicked Goddess, sending her across the ground. She picked up her keyblade, and tried to ignore the blood now running down her shirt. She ran at Ixion, made a flying leap, jumped off his back, flipped in the air, and made a powerful strike. She landed on both feet. It was only after she stood up again, that half of Ixion's horn slid away from the whole, and landed on the ground. Bree held up a card with a "10" on it.

_**Consider this**_

_**Consider this**_

_**The hint of the century**_

_**Consider this**_

_**The slip that brought me**_

_**To my knees failed**_

_**What if all these fantasies**_

_**Come flailing around**_

_**Now I've said too much**_

Ixion snarled, and charged up electricity on what remained of his horn. Goddess deflected it off of her keyblade's shaft, and took up playing again. "I've got no choice. I've got to destroy him. I don't want to do it, but I have to." With each of the notes she played, the magic in the air grew thicker and thicker. Orbs of energy gathered, all aimed directly at Ixion. The orbs gathered in the air, above Ixion. With one word, the giant pulsating energy drove down at Ixion.

"Apocalypse."

_**I thought I heard you laughing**_

_**I thought I heard you sing**_

_**I think I thought I saw you try**_

_**But that was just a dream**_

_**Just a dream**_

Goddess dropped to her knees, panting in exhaustion. That spell was almost a guaranteed kill, but it drew straight from the user's life energy. That was one of two reasons Goddess only used it once in a blue moon.

Within minutes, Ixion had reformed from his own ashes. He approached Goddess, and placed the tip of his horn on her forehead, giving him the appearance of bowing to her. "DarkGuitarGoddess. Good job…and good luck." Goddess vanished in a flash of light.

_**That's me in the corner**_

_**That's me in the spotlight, I'm**_

_**Losing my religion**_

_**Trying to keep up with you**_

_**And I don't know if I can do it**_

_**Oh no I've said too much**_

_**I've said enough**_

_**I thought I heard you laughing**_

_**I thought I heard you sing**_

_**I think I thought I saw you try**_

_**But that was just a dream**_

_**Try, cry, why try?**_

_**That was just a dream**_

_**Just a dream, just a dream**_

_**Dream.**_

**_

* * *

_**

_A/N: Okay, I know, I said there wouldn't be any more musical moments in this, but technically this isn't a musical moment! Goddess isn't singing it. Anyways, it's her favorite song, "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M._

_Goddess secures another victory for the Author Fighters, eliminating the Guardian of Storms. But can The Angelic Soldier take on his opponent, Valefor, Guardian of Sky? Find out next time!_


	32. The Angelic Soldier Vs Valefor Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 32: The Angelic Soldier vs. Valefor Part 1**

The Angelic Soldier appeared to be in a cavern of some sort. It was a little cold, but not freezing. The ceiling was only about ten feet up, and the walls weren't much further apart. He couldn't be sure how far underground he was.

Soldier cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted out "Hello!" His voice echoed back to him. "Echo!" His voice echoed came back to him, and was then followed by an inhuman screech. "Oh, crud." From above him, a gigantic bird swooped down, and landed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The feathers on her were all shades of oranges and yellows. Her eyes were a shade of deep blue. When she spoke, her beak clicked lightly. To one with a lesser force of will than Soldier, her voice would have made them drop unconscious from the volatile aura that she gave off with her words.

"I am the Guardian of the Sky. I am Valefor!" It was so scathing, so menacing, and so dark, Soldier's skin was crawling. It didn't fit a being that looked so much like how Valefor did. "Try and escape me if you can."

Soldier immediately took to the air. Valefor shot at him, but he got out of the way, and went for one of the passages. About a minute later, he slammed face-first into a wall while going thirty miles an hour.

"Crud. Nice one," he said to himself. He froze for a moment, as he heard Valefor's distinctive screech. As soon as he caught a glimpse of those orange feathers, he was off again.

This continued, numerous times, over and over. Soldier would run into a wall because he was going too fast, and Valefor would catch up quickly once again.

After perhaps the twelfth time around with this, he was finally getting a clue. He was meant for speed, not maneuvering, while Valefor was much more graceful in her movements, allowing her to adjust during a turn in less than a second. Her speed wasn't very high, but her maneuverability made up for it, so that anytime Soldier messed up, she could catch up to him.

"Gotta get out into the open air," Soldier said to himself. "Only one way to do that." And he shot upwards, though he went a little slower than before.

Meanwhile, Valefor knew that she had the advantages in the cavern, and went after Soldier to stop him. She went a little faster than before, but still kept precise. Besides, she knew these caverns like the back of her wing.

Soldier saw her coming, and then swooped into a side passage, since he couldn't go further up from there. He suddenly grunted in pain, as something searing hot shot through his wing, and kept going, to blast a stalactite to pieces. Soldier dropped a few feet so that Valefor overshot him completely.

He checked where he'd been attacked. Just a few burnt feathers. It didn't actually even go through his wing, it had struck him on the top of the wing, and ricocheted off the edge.

By now, Valefor had turned back around, and energy was charging in her beak. She suddenly released a shower of laser bursts. Soldier weaved through the bursts, and shot past her. "Lasers. A bird shooting lasers. What kind of thing is--" He collided with a stalactite. The base came loose, and started to fall. Soldier pulled away just in time.

Valefor saw this happen, and her eye sparkled, as an idea formulated itself in her head.

Another shower of lasers flew over Soldier's head, loosening the stalactites, and making them fall over Soldier's head. He went as fast as he could to get away. Valefor kept on attacking, and Soldier kept on flying.

At the end of the passage, Soldier flew upwards as fast as possible. At the top, he could see a small amount of light shining through the darkness, growing brighter as he grew nearer.

Valefor's screech followed him. She came out of nowhere, coming at him with her talons. He slipped away, and kicked Valefor in the chest.

"You fool!" Valefor snatched him in her talons as tightly as possible. Soldier couldn't breath, it was so tight. She chuckled, and slammed him against a wall.

"Only have on shot at this," Soldier grunted. With all of his strength, he unfolded his wings outward, pushing Valefor's talons apart. He flew straight at her, and pushed her through the air, against the opposite wall.

In one fluid movement, Soldier drew his battle-axe and swept it across her. Her head went back for a moment, and she started to fall. While it wouldn't last long, Soldier wasn't going to give up his few seconds of free air while she was distracted. He shot high, away from Valefor, out of the tunnel, and into the clear blue sky.

Not a cloud remained, a rare sight for the Angelic Soldier since what had happened to the earth. The sun shone brightly. It looked like the cavern system had been formed beneath a mountain range.

And yet, despite the initial appearance of perfection, this was only how the sky itself looked. Everything else wasn't so lucky. As far as the eye could see, everything--grass, trees, animals--was dead. Without the Guardian of Sky, everything in this pocket universe had fallen to pieces, becoming almost as corrupted as the mind of Valefor herself.

Speak of the Devil, and the Devil shall appear. Valefor came up from the caverns. She charged at Soldier, and he blocked her talons with part of his axe. There was, naturally, no mark from his earlier attack.

Soldier's axe did not cut flesh. Rather, it cut through memories, both giving him a sample of his opponent's battle skill, and reminding his opponent of things that he or she needed to know. And in the memory he had obtained from Valefor, he hadn't heard her horrible, screeching voice. Instead, he heard a different voice, that of a young girl.

_"The Sky is that which encompasses and accepts all. My duty is to protect this ideal. But you, you whose name I don't even know, I deny you! I do not accept the darkness, I reject all that you are! Eclipse my mind, destroy my heart, but one day, I know this is true, I will be restored, and you will lose all of your power!"_


	33. The Angelic Soldier Vs Valefor Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

**Chapter 32: The Angelic Soldier Vs Valefor Part 2**

The Angelic Soldier flew high over Valefor, flying far faster than he'd been able to do in the caverns. He swirled back down as Valefor came after him, and passed by her in mid-dive, swiping his axe through her.

"_Oh yes I'll never leave my magnificent sky--_"

Soldier ducked away at Valefor attacked him again. He got a safe distance away, and as she came nearer he held his axe like a baseball bat. However, she'd learned her lesson, and dropped right as Soldier swung, putting him off balance. Valefor came back up, and scratched him on the arm. Soldier just kept going, flying after her as fast as he could.

Valefor had about a moment between when she saw Soldier out of the corner of her eye, and when she felt his axe swipe through her once again. She only hesitated for a moment, as the memory flowed through her.

"_I cannot lose myself to you…_"

She soared upward, and let loose a storm of lasers on him. Soldier couldn't dodge them all, and so he allowed himself to drop fifty feet. He waited until all of the bursts had dissipated, and flew back up. With one hand, he whipped his axe around and threw it at Valefor. She moved out of its flight path, and laughed. "Missed me!"

"Oh, did I?"

The axe came swirling back again, and swiped through Valefor, and Soldier snatched it out of the air. Valefor reared back as another memory struck her.

_"Please, stop, please."_

She growled, and sent a laser beam at Soldier. He swooped out of the way, but felt another one strike him through a wing, and he dropped once again. Valefor came after him physically, but realized that she couldn't do a close-combat fight without getting in range of his axe. Soldier spun it in his hand, grimacing. "I think I'm starting to get why you're like this. You represented freedom, so you couldn't be trapped in somebody else's control while you still had your spirit."

"Be quiet!" Valefor let loose a shower of laser bursts, but Soldier avoided them easily. "Do not try to understand this, for you will not even if you live to be a thousand years old!"

"No, I think I'm getting it already, believe it or not," Soldier said. He went after Valefor, and swung his axe multiple times, and she just barely missed being struck. "Whats-his-name, Omega, had to break your spirit. Don't know how yet, but let's find out!" He made a sweeping strike, going straight through her.

_"You are nothing but a murderer! Destroy all of those lives in an instant, I won't forgive you!"_

"So he showed you memories, horrible memories that would cripple any normal man from the bloodshed in them. He made you cringe away. He made you afraid." Soldier barely avoided getting his winged clipped.

"Shut up already, you know nothing, and therefore understand nothing!"

Soldier sighed. "Don't you remember freedom? To be free of the malice he infected you with to destroy you from the inside out? He wants to destroy the world, and you can help stop him, just by being willing to remember." He looped around, under Valefor and behind her, and brought his axe straight up.

_"I will be...your eternal servant."_

"You do not know my pain. You cannot know my pain," Valefor said. She flew at him with all of her strength, and raked her talons across his wings. He grunted in pain, and kicked at her, which might not have been such a good idea. Her talons were ripped violently from his wings, cutting him even further.

Soldier could barely fly now, he was just gliding to prevent himself from getting hurt more. He barely managed to strike Valefor again.

_"You are...you are not human, are you? You should not be here, you are unnatural."_

Valefor cried out, and her voice showed that Soldier was finally getting to her. Her voice had changed from the horrible cruel voice that did not befit her, to the sound of a young woman's voice (1). A sole tear ran from her eye. "The Angelic Soldier...I will only say this once..." Soldier wasn't expecting the next phrase--or maybe he was. "Help me remember. I want to be free again."

Soldier smiled. "With pleasure." And he struck at Valefor time after time, as quickly as he could. Even as she went for last-ditch efforts to escape, he went after her, and felt many of her memories flow into his mind, and knew that for her, it was getting harder and harder for the darkness to keep a grip on her heart. The light was returning.

"ENOUGH!" A shock wave blasted out from Valefor, sending Soldier back, and knocking his axe out of his hands, to fall the five hundred feet to the ground. But his eyes were on Valefor, who was thrashing in the air. Her wings expanded out, and a golden light started in the center of her chest, and expanded outward. The dull feathers became gold, and her eyes turned a shade of bright gold.

Soldier had to cover his eyes as Valefor was restored to who she once was. Her own light spread all across the world, restoring the world to its former glory. The sun shined brightly, the grass below was given life again. Soldier felt a cooling feeling, as his wings were healed.

As the light began to fade, Valefor looked to Soldier, and smiled as best as she could. "I thank you. You have my eternal gratitude."

"I did what I needed to do, to help my friends, and the world," Soldier said. "But you're welcome."

Valefor nodded. "May your world be healed, and restored to its former glory. Go now, and live happily." Light consumed The Angelic Soldier, and he vanished.

* * *

_(1) The previous line and every line of hers afterward is done by Adair Tishler, also known as Molly Walker, from Heroes_

_A/N: And so, without make a physical mark on her, The Angelic Soldier restores Valefor to who she once was, the Guardian of the Sky. Next time, see Roscoso take on Chaos, the Guardian of Dischord!_


	34. Roscoso Vs Chaos Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

**Chapter 33: Roscoso Vs Chaos, Guardian of Dischord Part 1**

Ross's footsteps echoed through the chamber. Kivat, the small bat that allowed him to Henshin into Kamen Rider Kiva, sat on the crown of his head. He stopped in front of the doorway, and grabbed ring attached to the door. "Ready, Kivat?"

"Always ready, Ross-san."

Ross grunted, and pulled the door open. He ran through the doorway when it was opened enough, and the door shut behind him of its own accord.

At first, after entering, there was nothing around him. Everything was pure white. Ross blinked, and everything changed. His heart skipped a beat. "No, this isn't…how am I here?" Somehow, he was in the Space Colony ARK again. It was completely empty, but was otherwise appeared to be in perfect condition. Ross felt a pang in his heart as he saw a transporter, the same one Alyssa had used to send him to safety on Earth.

"This isn't possible," he muttered. "Unless that door took me across both space and time. This place shouldn't be intact."

"Ross-san, look!" Ross spun around, and gasped. The corner of the lab was changing, falling apart, and in less than a minute, the entire lab had changed back to the white place it was before.

"No matter what I create, it will never stay the same." What appeared was a huge man in old-style armor. In one hand, he carried an enormous sword, that looked to be made up of several components, joined into one. "Destruction is my only purpose. And I, Chaos, Guardian of Discord, will destroy you!"

"So none of it's real, it's just an illusion," Ross muttered. With that in mind, he turned to the Black Guardian, and smirked. "Discord, huh? That's just another word for Chaos. Let me show you what the word chaos really means. Kivat!"

"Yosh, let's go!" Kivat flew up, and Ross snatched him out of the air. He placed him near his other hand, and Kivat bit him. "**Bite!**"

Fangire marks appeared on the lower half of Ross's face. A belt appeared around his waist, and Ross placed Kivat on the center of it. "**Henshin.**" In a burst of light, he became Kamen Rider Kiva.

Chaos split his one big sword into two blades, and charged at Ross. As he swung, the scenery around them changed into one of the rooms in Castle Doran. Ross ducked beneath one sword, but was caught by the flat of the other one. He recovered quickly, and got in close, and punched at Chaos at high speed. He only succeeded in hurting his hands on Chaos' armor. At the same time, the scenery around them changed from Castle Doran to the training room in the Author Fighters HQ.

Ross drew out the blue fuestle on his belt, and pushed it into Kivat's mouth. "Garulu Saber!" Kivat whistled. Ross reached up, and snatched the Garulu Saber out of the air. His arm, visor, and chest turned a shade of deep blue. Ross growled, and charged at Chaos. Their blades met, and Ross was able to keep up with him now.

Chaos kicked Ross away, and joined his swords into a single blade. He snapped his wrist, and the sword came apart into pieces, joined by a metal cord through the center. He used it like a giant whip, sending it at Ross. Ross jumped over it, and brought his sword across Chaos' chest once, twice, three times.

Chaos finally managed to get away from him, and changed the form of his sword again, into something resembling a deformed axe. The room changed again, into the mountain where Ross had faced off against Oushi, the Ox Zodiac.

_He's drawing all of the areas from my memories. How is this guy doing it?_ Ross avoided the strikes from Chaos, trying to get close enough to attack. The Garulu Saber vanished from his grip, and he grabbed another fuestle.

"Bashaa Magnum!" Kivat whistled. Ross grabbed the Bashaa Magnum from the air, and attacked Chaos from a distance. Chaos deflected shots off of his blade, and the few that made contact made small dents in his armor. "Doesn't this guy ever slow down!"

"Not a chance!" Chaos split his sword, and wielded one part in each hand. He went at Ross, deflecting shots with one sword, and brought down his second sword when he was close enough. It would have killed Ross were he not wearing the armor. Around them, the scenery suddenly changed to the inside of the Battleship Halberd.

"Need strength, not speed," Ross said to himself. The Bashaa Magnum vanished.

"Dogga Hammer!" Kivat whistled, and Ross grabbed the hammer from the air. He gripped it tightly, and the next time Chaos came at him, he swept it around, nailing Chao in the side, making a significant dent in the armor. He blocked his sword with a strike of his own, knocking the enormous sword from Chaos's grip. Ross spun, and landed a powerful attack flat in Chaos's chest. His armor cracked. "One last one, take this!"

He swung upwards, and knocked Chaos's helmet off completely. The scenery around them broke apart. For a moment, it remained white. It didn't stay that way for long. The white became red, burning red. They were in a landscape, consumed with fire all around them. Ross barely paid attention to this. For knocking off Chaos's helmet revealed a shocking truth; the armor was empty.

Dark laughter echoed all around him. "Thinking you're so strong, not so! For from the moment you stepped through the doorway, you've been trapped in an illusion of my own creation! Only those who defeat that armor are allowed to see my true form!"

The ground shook, as a being stepped through the flames. He was a bit taller than the armor had been. The being looked much like the traditional idea of the devil, though he carried no weapon. It was doubtful that he needed it. He looked down at Ross, and smirked. Ross stood his ground.

"Not a chance that I'll lose," Ross said.

"Are you so sure?" Dark energy charged in one of Chaos's hands. "Chaos Blast!"

Ross didn't even get a chance to dodge, it came so fast, and he was sent flying back fifty feet. The Kiva armor shattered apart. "Aw, crud." He stood up, and cracked his knuckles. "Guess it's time to go back to basics. Chaos Control!"

He warped away, and Chaos glanced around for the Deoxys Pokemorph. He warped back into existence behind Chaos, in midair. "Hyper Beam!" A burst of energy hit directly, and Ross dropped to the ground. Rosss smirked. "Let's get chaotic."

* * *

_A/N: Okay, this chapter was really fun to write, I really enjoyed doing it. And the more I enjoy it, the better it's bound to be. So the next couple fights should be pretty good, I hope. Considering I've been waiting to do them for a while._

_Chaos reveals his true form, and Ross is forced to use only his Chaos and Pokemorph abilities. This is going to get explosive, so look out for the next chapter!_


	35. Roscoso Vs Chaos Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

**Chapter 34: Roscoso Vs Chaos Part 2**

Chaos laughed, as Ross got ready for him. There wasn't a chance that he would let this guy beat him. Chaos clenched his fists together and pounded them against the ground, creating a wave of earth in all directions around him. Ross teleported high into the air to avoid it, and faced one palm in the opposite direction he was facing. "Chaos Blast!" The recoil from the explosion sent him flying straight at Chaos.

The Black Guardian sent an enormous fireball at Ross. The Pokemorph drew out a Life Aura. "Chaos Shield!" The fireball was stopped in its tracks by the shield, and it dissipated. At the same time, Ross fell to the ground. Chaos punched at Ross with all of his strength. "Chaos Control!" Time slowed down for him, and Ross jumped onto Chaos's slowly-moving fist. He ran up his arm, and as time came back to normal speed, he let loose a Hyper beam straight in Chaos's face.

The Black Guardian grunted in pain. He smacked Ross away, and collected an orb of energy in his hand, and threw it into the ground. A trio of featureless monsters spawned from the newly-created portal. Ross charged electricity into his hands with the Life Aura, and let loose a storm of attacks at one of the monsters, at the same time keep one eye on Chaos, avoiding the attacks from his direction. The first monster dropped, and dissolved into darkness.

As the other two monsters came at him, Ross charged them, and jumped into the air. He flipped in midair, grabbed each of them by the head, and slammed them together. He landed, and attacked both with a burst of electricity. They each dropped to the ground, and dissolved like the first.

Ross suddenly got the wind knocked out of him by two more monsters landing kicks in his side. He took a deep breath, and destroyed them both without missing a beat. However, more monsters kept on coming. "Can't worry about these things or Chaos'll get me. Gotta go for him." He got past the monsters by jumping on top of their heads, and went for Chaos again. He charged chaos energy, and fired it at Chaos. The Guardian of Discord deflected it, and fired one of his own at Ross, who barely avoided getting fried.

When he saw the crater it made in the ground, Ross couldn't help but let out a low whistle. "I'd hate to see what would happen if...two of them...hit each other..." An idea was forming in his mind. It was a very crazy, very dangerous idea, and if he did it wrong he'd be in a really bad way, but it would be an almost guaranteed knock-out for Chaos.

"Psycho Boost!" He attacked Chaos with psychic energy. Chaos created a magical shield, and created a quartet of spectral swords that hovered around him. With hand gestures, he sent them flying at Ross. The Pokemorph barely avoided them. "Time to bring out the big guns. Chaos Deoxys!"

In a burst of light, Ross entered his Pokemorph form. "Psychic." He raised his arms, and boulders that had been knocked free of the earth came to hover around them. They flew at Chaos, who was battered all over.

"Chaos Blast!" The Black Guardian unleashed an explosion of energy at Ross. Ross retaliated with his own Chaos Blast, and when they met, it created an even greater explosion. However, Ross was disheartened to see that it wasn't very big at all. Because he'd been taken by surprise, he didn't have the time to created a very powerful Chaos Blast.

"Come on, come on, think of something," Ross said to himself as he avoided Chaos's attacks. "Psychic!" The boulders hovered again, and Chaos created a shield. However, this time, the rocks didn't fly at him, but at each other. They formed what looked distinctly like a pair of giant arms. Major understatement. A single arm was as large as Chaos himself. Each one started to glow red, as they were infused with chaos energy to strengthen them. "I think I'll call it, Chaos Fist." Ross clenched his fingers, and the hands mimicked him.

Ross threw continuous punches at Chaos. The Black Guardian created energy bursts that would knock pieces off, only for them to be restored. Ross put his hands together, and slammed them over Chaos's head. Chaos blocked him with a shield, and pushed away from himself, causing the shield to push the hands away.

However, Ross made one mistake. He forgot about the monsters Chaos had made.

Two grabbed his arms, keeping them still. He tried to fight them off, but they held on tight, as two others grabbed his legs. He lost his focus, and the rock arms dropped to the ground, shaking the earth. Free from distractions, Chaos laughed.

"Take this, little hero. Not as strong as you thought, well, don't worry. I'm sure that you're not the only one who lost." Energy gathered in Chaos's fists. "I am one of the strongest of the Black Guardians. The ones of the primary elements, even Sky and Insanity for that matter, do not even compare in strength to myself, and the Guardians of Beasts, Light, and Darkness, let alone the Guardians of Humanity and Fantasy. Give it up, already.

"Chaos Blast!!!"

For a moment, from Ross' point of view, everything seemed to slow down. As the chaos blast came at him, he saw the Life Auras appear around him. Energy burst from them, evaporating the monsters, and creating a bubble of energy around him that blocked the attack.

As the light cleared, Chaos looked almost surprised that Ross was still in one piece, let alone alive. But then he saw the Life Auras, and his eyes narrowed. All he said was "Hmph. So that's how you did it."

"Yep," Ross said, grinning, his arms held out at his sides. "You say you're amazing because you're the Guardian of Discord, well, I'm the Guardian of the Life Auras." The Life Auras began to glow again, as Ross charged energy. Chaos saw what he was doing, and stood his ground to fight back."

"Chaos..."

"Chaos..."

"BLAST!!!"

As their attacks met in the middle, both would have been destroyed completely were this between two ordinary humans. However, Ross was protected by the Life Auras. While Chaos, being semi-immortal, would be reduced to ashes, and revived once again.

And that is exactly what happened.

The flames around them cleared. The monsters vanished. All around them, the scenery returned to what it had been before. A blank white. Ross returned to his normal form, and the Life Auras vanished. About five feet from him, he saw a man appear. However, it was strange. His appearance flickered. One minute, he was that man. The next, he was the devil-like being that was Chaos. And the next after that, he was a tall man in a suit of armor.

Unpredictable, unstable, this was Chaos incarnate.

"Perhaps, not so, after all," Chaos said. "Remember what I said, hero. The Guardians of Fantasy and Humanity are the most powerful. There are three others who are as strong as I. All of the others...it would take three working together to destroy me. Do you understand?"

"I get it," Ross said casually. "Just because I beat you doesn't mean that we've won, because it's equally likely that somebody else'll get killed." He crossed his arms over his chest. "At least, that's what you would have said. However, I say something different." He grinned.

"My friends won't go down that easily." Ross made a two-fingered salute, and pulled out his own yellow Life Aura. "Chaos, Control!"

* * *

_A/N: I know. This took a really, really, really long time. Three week gap. But, it's finally out, it's a decent length (especially for what I've been doing with these fights), and I think I did pretty well writing it._

_Ross takes on the Guardian of Discord, and manages to come out on top. But how will X Prodigy, the Hollow Devil, face against Anima, the Guardian of Darkness, and perhaps even stronger than Chaos? Find out next time!_


	36. X Prodigy Vs Anima Pt 1

_Disclaimer: Total non-ownage_

**Chapter 35: X Prodigy Vs Anima Part 1**

X ran through the passageways of the area he had found himself in. It was some sort of catacombs, complete with cobwebs and skeletons laid to rest. He ducked through an opening, and came into an open area. There was little light, but he could see an unlit chandelier hooked to the ceiling. With the help of Agni and Rudra, it was lit, casting shadows all around. This room had yet to be used, evidently, as there were no skeletons or corpses. However, there were empty chains, not attached to anything.

There was a slow drip of water that could be heard. X stepped forward carefully into the center of the room, switching his spiked katana for Sparda. "I know you're there. I can hear you."

"You can hear the shadows?" The chains on the floor jumped up, and bound around X's wrists, neither tying him down nor tying his wrists together. He tried to tug them off, but they held fast.

A dark being leapt up before him, twice his own height, and still five times as large as he was. Chains bound its arms to its chest. It was skeletal, but still somehow alive. "You…you have a certain scent about you, that I cannot quite place."

X's eyes widened. "Holy shit. You're a woman?"

She considered him for a moment. "I am female, yes. And you are demon, and human."

"Hollow, actually," X corrected.

"A Hollow is a corrupted human spirit. You are demon, human, and hollow. But you have other scents about you, that should not be there, for the sort of being you are," she said. "I smell human, balance, Fictorian, even Digimon about you. How would you be around these beings?"

_How do you smell a Digimon?_ X didn't say this, but instead said "I'm not your average guy. I'm the Hollow Devil, X Prodigy. Who're you?"

"I am Anima, Guardian of Darkness," she said. "Prepare yourself, Hollow Devil." A horrible scream erupted from her, and X covered his ears. His hands were wrenched away from his ears by the chains that had tied around him, and his wrists were bound together. He could still move his arms, but wouldn't be able to swordfight. "Now we are equal."

X bit back a sarcastic remark, and instead focused. Sparda vanished, and a pair of gauntlets and greaves appeared on him. He charged at Anima, and jumped high. He made a sweeping kick across her chest, before backing off. He awkwardly drew one of his pistols, and aimed carefully. He pulled the trigger, and a shot barely missed Anima's head. He fired repeatedly at her with Dawn, managing to bury a few shots in her, before a burst of darkness knocked it away. The chains on his arms chased further up him, binding his arms completely, making it impossible for him to draw his remaining pistol.

"What the hell? You call this equal!" X spat. "You're insane!" He charged at Anima, and jumped up. Light energy charged in his hands. "Blinding Blade!" A burst of light was fired at Anima, piercing her through her chest. She let out a scream of pain.

"You will pay for that!" Anima screech. Her eyes turned red, and she turned her gaze on X. He froze, and wished that he could scream out in pain, but he was completely paralyzed. Every moment of pain, every time he'd been pinned down, every time he was near to death--even those times he couldn't remember--none of them could even compare to the pain he felt right now. Every cell cried out in agony, he felt like he was being slowly consumed, burned, torn to pieces, and he was aware of every moment of it.

When it finally ended, for a moment, X entertained the idea that the pain had killed him, but he was most certainly alive. The chains were still around him, now up to his shoulders. He was laying on the ground, and every so often he would shudder from shock. He slowly stood up, and faced Anima. She was looking at him, in mild curiosity.

"You're still alive? Few people have survived that," she said. "But, no matter. It still did a number on you, and I can't imagine that you could take much more." A burst of darkness flew from her mouth at X. It hit the wall behind where he had been before he moved.

"I can take more than that," X said, breathing deeply. "After all, whatever doesn't kill you just makes you stronger."

"Unless I kill you beforehand," Anima said. "Shadow Flare!" Darkness gathered behind Anima, and burst out, homing at X. Only one of five he managed to avoid, it hitting the ceiling. The other four nailed him in each limb, and he grunted. "And yet you keep fighting?"

"Nothing to it." X flew at Anima and made a sweeping kick through the air, light bursting out and blinding Anima for a moment. But when she recovered, she screeched again, and the chains around X went further, completely binding his arms to the sides of his chest, and restricting his breathing. But when Anima tried to blast him with dark fire, he kicked up, reflecting it straight back at her.

Anima said "**Dark Blades**." From the shadows came swords of darkness, all surrounding X. He glanced around, and when they started coming at him, he went into action, knocking a few away with well-timed kicks. Others missed him, burying themselves in the ground or in walls. A few hit him, stabbing him in the shoulders, between the chains, before vanishing back into the darkness. The chains tightened slightly, and he felt like he could barely breathe.

"Give it up, already, you can't barely move!" Anima said.

"I will never!" X made a spinning kick, sending a burst of light at Anima. She brushed it off like it was nothing, and raised her bound hands, bringing them down onto X's head. He staggered dizzily, but didn't let himself fall. The chains spread further, leaving him unable to take a step without falling all over himself.

"You can handle physical Pain, but let's see how you handle mental Pain!" Anima said, and used her specialty ability again. She turned her gaze on X. At that moment, he would have given anything to have been experiencing the physical pain again.

Every moment of pain in his life, physical and mental. Old scars, long since healed over, brought to the surface and cut open again. It was nearly unbearable. He could hear somebody screaming, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he considered the thought that it was he who was screaming, but he felt so disconnected from his body, he could barely tell anything anymore.

X came to all at once. He was leaning against a wall. The chains were at his neck. His breath came in short bursts. He couldn't move at all, and he was completely at Anima's mercy.

Beneath his mask, X…smiled. He smiled, after that, his worst memories all brought up like the opening of old wounds.

And X laughed. He laughed like a madman, which really, Anima had driven him to. Beowulf was replaced with Sparda, sheathed across his back. "Now you'll see why I'm the son of Sparda!" X laughed, as his arms broke free of the chains, and he tore off his Hollow mask. "DEVIL TRIGGER!!!"

He transformed into a demonic warrior, wielding Sparda in one hand. Insect-like wings burst from his back. The chains fell to the ground, into many broken links. He made a hiss-like laugh. He had become the manifestation of Sparda, the Legendary Dark Knight.

X flew at Anima, and brought his sword up her chest, leaving a long cut. He brought it up the other side, cutting her again. He ended by stabbing her in the chest. He flew back, and landed on the ground, as darkness burst out from Anima. He hefted Sparda over his shoulder, and walked away.

Anima watched him walk. She wasn't dead yet, no, far from it. She looked down at herself, and pulled apart the chains on her hands. She dug her claws into the floor. "**Doomsday**." Darkness spread out from where she was, quickly across the chamber, blocking off X's means of getting out.

X turned to face her. He looked down, and saw darkness slowly spreading up him. He was stuck fast, couldn't move a step. He tried to pull free in vain. The darkness went up his stomach, across his arms, and spread to his neck. Anywhere it touched him, he couldn't move an inch. As it covered his mouth and nose, he couldn't breathe. The last thing he saw before the darkness completely consumed him was the triumphant look on Anima's face.

---

Anima sighed, almost sadly, as the magic cleared from her chamber. On the ground, X lay still. She always took the bodies of those she had defeated from her own chamber, and placed them elsewhere in the catacombs. She reached out, to do the same to X.

"Sparda, the Devil Arm of Darkness." X kicked himself up, knocked Anime in the chin, drew his sword, and sliced her across the chest. Anima staggered in surprise and pain. "Hello! You really think something like that could work on me? This fight's barely even started!"

* * *

_A/N: X Prodigy completely turns the tables in his battle against Anima, from being at her mercy to making the battle even! Who will prevail and prove themselves stronger!_


	37. X Prodigy Vs Anima Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_This chapter is dedicated to anybody on YouTube who put up a video of the Sora Vs Data Marluxia fight from Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+, because without which this chapter would have likely been very crappy. :D_

**Chapter 35: X Prodigy Vs Anima Part 2**

Since he got free, X had the advantage against Anima. He was faster, more agile, and could block or avoid anything she threw at him. It took him just a few moments to get an attack going, whereas her dark magic required time to charge.

Anima knew she was losing, and if she didn't do something, she would go down in mere minutes. She created a shield in front of her, that shook any time X struck it. Anima released a breath, and the chains melted from her arms. She moved forward, and as she moved, she was consumed in dark smoke, and dropped to the same height as X.

As the smoke cleared, Anima still looked much the same. At the same time, she was much more human-like. Her face wasn't monsterous. That is, it wasn't depending on your definition.

Her features were contorted with rage. Wearing a long, heavy, dark cloak that resembled her true appearance, she flew at X, dark magic forming a scythe in her hands. She swung it around one-handed over X's head. He blocked it with Sparda.

"So, this is how you really look?" X knocked the scythe away, and swung his sword at Anima. She kept it at bay with the handle.

"Idiot human, this is only a form I've chosen to take on to better fight you," Anima hissed. "Do not talk of things like 'true forms'. I don't like to drag out a fight, I fight with all of my strength from the beginning."

Anima and X clashed. Anima whipped her scythe around, and X jumped to avoid it, and brought his sword down at her. Anima quickly moved so that he barely nicked her. She retaliated by swinging her scythe around to catch him in the side. The edge of the blade cut through his jacket, leaving a very thin cut. X brought Sparda over his head in a sweeping strike, and Anima managed to block it.

As they fought, it quickly became clear that Anima had higher physical strength than X, despite her thin figure suggesting otherwise. While a scythe was normally a very bad idea for a weapon, since missing an attack left one wide open for punishment, she was able to lift it and attack with it with one hand, eliminating the weakness.

At the same time, X was far more agile than she was. He made up for not hitting as hard by hitting more often than she did. Even with the size of Sparda, he was able to attack with ease.

No matter what, though, X still had a slight disadvantage. It wasn't much. There'd been much worse odds against him before. At the same time, he still had to get a little more tricky with his attack style.

While Anima attacked him, X slowly backed up, until he was a foot away from the wall. He jumped over a low swipe, and kicked off the wall, and in midair he struck at Anima. He left a deep cut on her shoulder. First decent hit of the fight, and it was only going to build up from there.

The next time that the Guardian of Darkness went for an overhead strike, X just barely got out of the way, and then stabbed his sword into the ground just where it would be difficult for her to pull it back to her. He whipped himself around the handle of his sword, and kicked Anima in the chest. She was knocked back, forcing her to release her scythe. X grabbed it before it even hit the ground, and hit Anima with it once, twice, thrice, throwing her back even further, and X threw it at her, leaving a long cut from her shoulder to her opposite hip.

X grabbed his sword again, just in time to block a furious attack from Anima. He blocked successive strikes from her, before hitting her with the side of his sword, pushing her away. Anima clenched her free fist. She swung her scythe in a circle on each side of her, before swinging it down and digging its tip into the ground. Bursts of energy shot through the floor, X barely managing to avoid them.

"You will die here!" Anima screeched, as she swung her scythe repeatedly, creating curved arcs of energy with each stroke. X avoided some, but not all, and got an electric shock from each one that hit him. Anima threw her scythe at X, sending it spinning through the air, and it struck him flat-on in the chest. He was sent flying back, but flipped backwards in the air and skidded along the ground, still on his feet.

"Technically, I'm already dead," X remarked. This only served to get Anima even more P.O.'d at him.

She attacked him in a rage, her scythe and his sword becoming only blurs from the speed of the attacks. Neither was cut, but both were slowly weakening from blood loss. X was starting to gain the upper hand, since he hadn't been hit as much, but even he knew that this battle wouldn't go on much longer.

Both charged their weapons with energy, and they met in the middle. It created a small explosion, that blasted them each to opposite sides of the dank room. X felt something hit his shoulder, and shuddered when he saw that it was a bony arm, from a grinning skeleton. One of Anima's victims, most likely. "Don't worry, buddy, I'll give ya somethin' to grin about."

Anima snarled, as she took her scythe in both hands and held it near her side. X gripped Sparda tightly, as he lowered his stance. The two opponents dashed at each other at the same time. This would be the last attack, the deciding stroke. Who would win, and who would lose.

The sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard as they passed each other, but neither made a visible movement of their weapons.

X dropped to one knee, breathed deeply. And Anima collapsed to the ground, blood running from her throat.

X stood up, and slipped Sparda into the sheath across his back. Anima's body slowly turned to dust. He turned his head, as the sound of rock grinding against rock filled the catacombs. Part of the ceiling lowered down, creating a staircase. Sunlight flowed into the room. X walked slowly up the staircase, and head out into the city, saying only one thing.

"I told you that I would win."

* * *

_A/N: And X triumphs over the Guardian of Darkness in an explosive battle! Next up, our local werewolf versus the Guardian of Beast, Mistress of Dawn versus Fenrir!_


	38. Mistress of Dawn Vs Fenrir Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 36: Mistress of Dawn Vs Fenrir, Guardian of Beasts Part 1**

As Mistress of Dawn entered the pocket dimension home to the Guardian of Beasts, she barely had a moment to take in the surrounding desert, a crescent moon hanging overhead, before a furry gray blur tackled her from the side. She let instinct take over as she fell, landing on her forearm and rolling to toss her attacker off.

She quickly jumped back onto her feet and went into a fighting position. It was very large gray wolf, almost reaching Dawn's shoulder. It growled threateningly. "A wolf, how fitting," Dawn muttered. "And you are?"

"Fenrir, the Guardian of Beasts." Fenrir leapt at her, and Dawn landed a spinning kick right in his side, letting out the _crack_ of a rib splintering.

Fenrir ignored it and raked his claws across her shoulder. She landed a kick in his jaw, before tearing off a piece of her shirt and tying it where she had been hurt.

Dawn got lower down, and attacked Fenrir, head-butting him in the stomach as he leaped at her. When he got back up, she kicked at him, but he avoided it and bit her ankle. She stumbled, and he pounced, getting a light scratch on her cheek and knocking her sunglasses off. She delivered a chop to the side of his neck. Her eyes flashed amber.

"Oh, what's this, the scary eyes!" Fenrir let out a bark-like laugh, and Dawn hit him with a punch right in the nose. She crouched and hit him with a sliding kick, but he kept his footing.

Fenrir and Dawn circled each other, watching for an opening. Dawn could feel her wolf instincts coming to the surface, and resisted at first, before allowing them to come through. There was nobody here she could hurt. It wasn't like in New York, with all of the people around, all of her friends around. It was just her and a single opponent, alone.

"I can feel it," Fenrir said. He pounced at Dawn, and she pushed him off, and kicked him before he even hit the ground. He clawed her along the ankle the next chance that he got, to try and put her off balance.

She ignored the pain and drove her elbow into his backbone. Despite what she had hoped, instead of breaking his spine she only succeeded in hitting her funny bone. She whipped her leg around high and hit him in the back of his skull.

"Feral, you're not human!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." She drove her hand forward to try and get his eyes, but he turned his head and caught her hand in his teeth. Too much pressure from him; _crunch, gulp,_ gone.

"I'm the Guardian of Beasts, and I know another beast when I see one." Before he could say anything else, Dawn hit him with a sucker punch right in the eye. He released her other hand, and she immediately kicked at him, but missed, putting her off balance. Fenrir jumped at her and sent her dropping onto her back from his weight.

His paws stayed on her shoulders, his raw strength enough to hold her. "A wolf-girl. Let me guess, cursed this way? Oh, I love you little half-breeds, it's right in my domain to drag you away from humanity and towards the beast inside."

"Not a chance of that!" Dawn slammed her forehead into him to try and surprise him. She only succeeded in bruising her forehead. "Okay, bad idea, really bad idea," she grunted in pain.

Fenrir barked a laugh. "You're too afraid to utilize all of your strength!" He stepped off of her, grabbed the neck of her jacket with his teeth, and shook her as though she were a pup.

He released her finally, and she flew ten feet. Dawn stood up shakily. "Come on, there's got to be some way to take this guy down."

She had evidently forgotten how advanced a wolf's hearing was compared to that of a human, for Fenrir said "Give in to those more primal urges! Fight or flight, this is the only way of survival!"

"Weird, because I know plenty of people who fight with their heads and still come out on top." Nevertheless, in her anger, Dawn's eyes flashed amber. She could feel her rational thoughts starting to slip away from her, replaced by feral wrath.

Even so, it was her human, her natural logic that came to the right conclusion. _That's the advantage I have over him. Humans are able to really think, but even then, they can't understand the whims of a beast. But I both know how animals think--to a point, at least--and I can use logic to understand it._

Instead of directly attacking once again, Dawn chose her words carefully, and said "So you're Guardian of Beasts. Wouldn't it be right to think that there's a Guardian of Humans? Raw logic, as compared to a bestial will?" She readied herself.

"Which of you is stronger? I mean, after all--" She tensed, ready to counter him when he attacked. "--humans are at the top of the food chain. Humans have taken down all of the greatest beasts in the world. I'm human--" _mostly_ "--and I'm going to beat you."

"Shut your dirty half-breed mouth!" Fenrir lunged at her without thinking, which is why he didn't notice it at first when Dawn jumped straight into the air with all of her strength. Both feet came down on his head, driving him into the dirt.

Dawn rolled away from him, and said "Humans have taken down all of the natural places. What do you have left? A few places that they've let your kind live out of the goodness of their hearts. What power do you have?" Fenrir clawed at her, but she jumped back, and let out a raspberry. He tried to attack her again, but she avoided it.

"Come on, you're slower than my grandmother!" It _was_ somewhat cheap and immature, but it was the only way to get Fenrir so steamed that he wouldn't be able to think straight, and when he tried to attack her it gave her a wide opening to counterattack.

"You think you're all so great, you humans! One day, I swear, once I have killed you, wolf-girl, I will personally kill every last one of you humans! Starting with all of the Author Fighters!"

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Dawn entertained the idea that Fenrir was going to start foaming at the mouth. "Only if you kill me, which I promise you, I won't let happen." When he came after her again, she got low, then came up quick, hitting him in his throat with her forearm.

Fenrir coughed. _Dammit, if this keeps up, I might have to use that..._ He gnashed his teeth together, and kept going at Dawn, in a poor attempt to keep his oath.

* * *

_A/N: __I am seriously sorry for how long it took to get this chapter out, I was busy with school, and--hell, I don't have any excuse. Reviews are always appreciated!_


	39. Mistress of Dawn Vs Fenrir Pt 2

_Disclaimer: Mistress of Dawn belongs to herself, Fenrir belongs to Square Enix._

**Chapter 37: Mistress of Dawn Vs Fenrir Part 2**

Dawn's insults and taunts got progressively more immature, insulting variously Fenrir's parentage, sanity, and hygiene. None of which was very good in the first place, but Dawn managed to make it sound even worse. As she had thought might happen, Fenrir was starting to foam at the mouth, and he was badly injured. This served to make him even more dangerous.

Even with how much she was taunting him, Dawn was far from reckless, always keeping an eye out, because as he got more mad and more foolhardy with his attacks, they were much harder to anticipate, coming out of nowhere to nail her. Her hands and forearms were covered in her own blood from putting her arms up to protect herself from his claws or teeth.

Her breathing was becoming more and more laborious, and every time she moved her limbs screamed out in protest. She had lost a dangerous amount of blood. She knew that she had to find a way to end this quickly, but unless she could pin him down, it'd be a case of who passed out first.

Fenrir was thinking similar thoughts, but also couldn't understand how it was that Dawn was able to keep up with him, even now as the both of them were at death's door.

He did have one way of maybe overcoming her, but he knew her nature, and it was a risk. "Then again, do I have any other choice?" he said under his breath. He sat back partially on his haunches, took a deep breath in, raised his head, and howled.

_Lunar...__**CRY!**_

Dawn heard his howl echo across the plains, but soon realized there was more to it than that. Through his howl, through his song, he invoked the very essence of nature itself. She looked up as above them, the clouds parted partially, revealing the crescent moon.

Before her very eyes, the moon's light was increasing further across it, as though Fenrir's magic--for it could only be called magic--was making time speed up. Her eyes widened as she saw the moon grow full.

An aura of light shone around Fenrir for a moment, healing his hurts, restoring his energy, but Dawn saw none of this. Her eyes turned amber. "Bad idea...a _really bad idea._"

She threw her head and screamed. Her bones cracked as they shifted. Her nails grew into claws, and were covered in fur, following the rest of her body. Her jaw elongated, and her teeth grew longer and pointed. She dropped to all four, and snarled as she turned to face Fenrir.

With a few last shudders and cracks, the transformation was finished. Her mind was completely that of an animal, losing nearly all human thought. There was only one thing that remained that she knew. Kill Fenrir. Bring him down, and kill him.

She lunged for Fenrir, and snapped at him. As he turned his head to avoid her, she raked her claws down his neck. He slammed into her side, and she was knocked down, but quickly rolled back up.

The two wolves circled each other slowly. Fenrir attacked her, biting her in one of her forelegs and putting three deep scratches down her side with his claws. She slashed him in the face in retaliation, and blood ran down his fur, to drip onto the ground.

Before he could attack her again, Dawn caught Fenrir with a dozen deep cuts, leaving him with less blood than he'd had before the moon's power had healed him. He snarled, going after her again, but she ignored the injured he gave her as she snapped at him.

Fenrir yelped in pain as blood ran down the side of his head. He'd let his guard down, and in a moment of weakness Dawn had managed to _almost bite his ear off._

Fenrir half snarled and half howled as he went at Dawn, leaping through the air at her in a fatal mistake. Dawn drover her skull between his forelegs, knocking him to the ground, and held him on his back with one paw.

She growled "You idiot, thinking you could ever beat me. Submit to me!" When he refused to, Dawn slowly dragged her claws down his ribcage, until he finally screamed out "Fine! I submit! Are you happy now, ARE YOU HAPPY!"

With a swipe to his jaw, there was a cracking noise as Fenrir's neck snapped, killing him almost instantly. Fenrir went limp, and slowly, his body turned to sand, blown away in the wind.

Above, the clouds passed back over the moon. Dawn felt herself revert back to her human form. She felt dead tired. She made the mistake of examining herself for injuries.

Almost her entire body was covered in blood. Her clothes were stained crimson, and her skin was coated slick. Her feet were in a small pool nearly up to her ankles.

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine she wasn't there, trying to get away from it. _Oh god, oh god..._ She felt hot breath on her face, and opened one eye a crack. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that Fenrir had reformed, and was an inch from her face.

"Calm yourself. I mean you no harm any more," he said, though his voice came from a point somewhere between her ears. And it wasn't even so much in words as it was expressed in feelings and images.

Fenrir touched the tip of his snout to Dawn's forehead, and she felt a warm feeling travel through her body. She let out a sigh of relief, as she vanished.

She came to on the ground in L.A. Rain was falling, thunder roaring. She held out her hands as the blood washed away. "Thank goodness...it's over, for him...but then, where are the others?" She was nearly knocked off her feet from surprise at the sound of an explosion. She heard a crashing noise, like that of a building which had partially collapsed. "Oh no..."

* * *

_A/N: So close, so very close, only three Black Guardians left! The Guardian of Light, the Guardian of Humanity, and the Guardian of Fantasy. Three more battles, six more chapters before it reaches the end!_

_Next time, the Princess of the Balances goes up again the Guardian of Light, Hikari Ino versus Alexander!_


	40. Hikari Ino Vs Alexander Pt 1

_Disclaimer: Hikari belongs to Hikari Ino, Alexander belongs to Square Enix, but I created the concept of Diamondsteel_

**Chapter 38: Hikari Ino vs. Alexander, Guardian of Light, Part 1**

After passing through the doorway, Hikari now found herself in a large circular room. It was close to fifty feet high, and near the top was windows made of stained glass. There was very little light, with the room occasionally being lit up by a bolt of lightning outside.

She was suddenly buffeted with wind, as the sound of grinding gears and steam escaping through cracks filled the room. A bright light shone overhead. Hikari looked up and jumped back, just barely avoiding being crushed as enormous metal pieces fell and shook the ground.

A few of the pieces hovered and fell into place, gears clicking and screws whirring to connect the sections of the golden machine.

It was vaguely humanoid, but three times Hikari's height, and its proportions were off. Too-small head, and the arms and legs were too short compared to its bulging torso.

At its feet, runes lit up on the floor. Though Hikari was sure that she had never seen the characters before in her life, a voice in the back of her head whispered the meaning.

_Alexander, Guardian of Light, and Judge of Men._

The visor on the machine's helm opened, and a pair of glowing red points lit up in lieu of eyes.

Alexander raised his fist, and brought it slamming down to the ground. The ground shook, and he left a crater in the stone. Even with how big, and therefore slow, Alexander was, Balance strength or not, Hikari would be crushed if he landed even one hit on her.

Hikari immediately knew that airbending would be useless except for evasion. She ran to the backside of Alexander, and clapped her hands together. A flash of light appeared, but nothing else happened. She'd intended to use alchemy to break down the bonds which held the metal together, but evidently his mechanical body was immune to alchemy, probably through some kind of magic.

She avoided being stomped on by Alexander, and got a safe distance from him. She refocused, and condensed the water in the air through alchemy, a more efficient manner than through just waterbending. She hadn't gotten much water out of the air, but it could be enough. She lifted the water and ran as fast as she could straight past Alexander's right leg, at the same time slicing the water through the metal.

This, like airbending, was nearly useless, as it left only a small mark on Alexander that could only be seen through close scrutiny.

It was quickly becoming clear that many of Hikari's abilities, while very strong under normal circumstances, were almost useless coming up against Alexander. The Sharingan had no use, since he was so slow, and without proper eyes the Geass would have no effect. Her bending left barely a scratch, if she tried to use her super-strength she'd just bruise her hand, and he was immune to direct alchemy.

"But maybe not indirect alchemy…" Hikari stopped running and turned around, still making sure to keep out of his reach. She clapped her palms together, and slid her hands quickly across the ground. Stone spikes shot out at Alexander, colliding with his torso. While they left no marks, the force still stunned him for a moment.

Finally having a way of fighting him, Hikari started developing a plan. She hit a pillar as she ran past it, and it cracked down the center, collapsing part of the roof onto Alexander. As he smashed his way of the rubble, Hikari fired more narrow spikes than she had before, but this time she aimed a bit more, putting them closer to his head. This time she managed to put dents into the armor.

While Alexander came at her once again, not slowed down in the slightest, Hikari managed to get around him, back to the rubble she had knocked down. With the metal naturally being far stronger than stone, she thought that she might be able to cause more damage.

But, as she was distracted by this, Alexander turned back to her and swung his arm back some. Just as Hikari turned, she only had time to brace herself before Alexander slammed her with a powerful uppercut. She was sent flying twenty feet into the air, and hit the ground hard.

She grunted as she tried to push herself up, and winced in pain. "Come on, come on." She stood up slowly, and before Alexander could smash her into the ground, clapped her hands together and hit the metal pieces.

Instead of trying to fire them directly, as with the stone spikes, she'd had to go another way around. She'd turned the pieces into giant, extremely powerful magnets, which would go for the nearest steel. This steel being on the other side of Alexander, they flew out to hit the Guardian of Light with an enormous force.

Alexander did feel it, yet he was barely stunned from the looks of it. He proceeded to pick up a piece of metal that had gone un-magnetized, and threw it so hard at Hikari that she didn't even have time to dodge, and it threw her against the wall.

While she tried to push it off of her, a strange sound came from Alexander. It wasn't groaning, like the inner pieces were going to break. It repeated a few times a second. It quickly became clear what he was doing.

He was laughing at her. After all, most of her techniques were useless. Even her alchemy couldn't cause very much damage. Stone was too soft, and there was very little metal around, unless she collapsed the roof, which could provide more harm than help. Unless she had something as hard as diamond, she could just bend over and kiss her--

"That's it!" Hikari took a moment to formulate her plan, which had to work this time.

She ran around the perimeter of the room, deconstructing the pillars so that the roof was near collapse. All at once, glass and metal started to shower down.

The irises of Hikari's eyes turned red. _Sharingan_. She perceived everything around her, and with the smallest bursts of airbending, she was able to make sure that she wasn't struck by too many of the glass shards or metal. While she could have easily spun air around herself into a whirlwind, to block everything, it would have taken a lot more out of her. Not to mention, this way she could also keep an eye on Alexander.

When the collapse had finally stopped, Hikari deactivated her Sharingan. She got further away from Alexander, avoiding the occasional debris that fell from the wall. She got to a big cluster of metal, and clapped her hands together. "Please let this work." She placed one hand on the steel and one hand on the ground. A huge flash of light appeared with the transmutation.

When she could see again, the steel had taken on a brighter sheen. Flicking it slightly showed that it had become much harder. Hikari stood, and went momentarily light-headed. There were two reasons for this. The first was that this was her first time ever trying this. The second was that Phoenix hadn't known the specifics for creating Diamondsteel, so Hikari was doing a lot of improvising in creating it.

Nevertheless, it was her only hope to try it. She reformed the Diamondsteel into a cluster of spikes, and sent them flying at Alexander. Whether it was the strength of the enhanced metal, or just how angry Hikari was at the Black Guardian, the spikes did more than just dent Alexander's outer covering, they ripped straight through the armor and went back out the other side to fly off the side of the tower.

The gap in Alexander's stomach had gears falling out of it, and irregular sparks of electricity. Alexander stumbled, starting to fall apart. One of his arms dropped from its socket, hitting the ground with an audible _THUNK!_

Alexander turned his eyes…lights…whatever on Hikari. And, somehow, he started to laugh again. As he fell to pieces, the machine kept on laughing, until all gears had fallen out, and his head fell off. It rolled across the ground to stop at Hikari's feet, and the lights where its eyes had been went out.

Hikari let out a sigh of relief. It didn't last long.

The tower's floor began to shake and tilt. When it was almost perpendicular to the ground, Hikari let go, and before she could start to fall too quickly, her wings appeared, one white, one black.

The tower continued to fall, dropping into the chasm which surrounded it. Hikari's eyes widened. Just as the place where she had fought the machine Alexander was only one part of an enormous castle, it was clear that what she had fought, that enormous thing, wasn't the true Alexander, but an extension of the Guardian of Light's will possessing the machine. The true Alexander was far larger than that.

This castle, the entire thing, was the Black Guardian. His entire force of will controlled everything. And somehow, in some way, Hikari Ino was charged with defeating it.

"God help me."


	41. Hikari Ino Vs Alexander Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 39: Hikari Ino Vs Alexander, Guardian of Light Part 2**

With little other choice, Hikari flew into the entry hall of Alexander, and was immediately bombarded by stakes coming out of hatches in the wall from either side. She swooped and dove to avoid them, and blasted the door open with a burst of airbending.

"Come on, there's got to be a core or something. The center of all of his power, but where is it!" she muttered to herself as she dodged traps. "Best bet would have to be the throne room…"

She took a deep breath, and shot off as fast as she could, in the direction she assumed (hoped?) was the throne room.

Out of the entry hall she went, immediately into a room where the ceiling started to descend. She pulled out her wand, and said "Impedimenta!" The ceiling stopped falling, at least for a moment. She pushed open the next door, which led to a very small hallway.

The door slammed shut behind her, and a pair of medieval suits of armor on each side of the doorway came to life, each wielding a halberd. Hikari shot off a pair of stunning spells, and they stopped. Hikari made a mistake in turning, thinking that they were down for the count. Each one moved again only moments later, and swung their halberds.

Hikari screamed as they sliced through her wings. She dropped to one knee in her pain. With a swipe of her hand backward, she hit them with airbending strong enough to strike them against the wall and break their armor apart.

Without even looking at her wings, she knew that she wouldn't be able to fly for the rest of this fight, and they vanished. She took a deep breath, and sprinted down the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the pair of armors rebuilding themselves. As they came after her again, she ignored the fact that the Automaton!Alexander had been immune to alchemy, clapped her hands together, and hit each of their chests with the palms of her hands. Both broke apart into scrap metal, and did not reform again.

Hikari shot through the halls, avoiding traps and trying to find a way through. Dead ends were common, as were more of those reconstructing armors. Twice she nearly fell into pits with spikes in them, and by the time she reached a very big, regal door, she was out of breath and sore all over.

With a large amount of effort, she pushed on the door, slowly pushing it open just enough to slip through. It slammed shut behind her.

_Finally, the throne room_. There was indeed a throne, however, its head had been blasted off, and a dented crown was on the seat. On the other side of the room, hugging the wall, was a group of five automatons that looked similar to the first Alexander, however, they'd folded into themselves and hooked together, into some kind of immobile machine. Different pipes went from them into the wall.

Before starting to fight immediately, Hikari said "Are you the real Alexander, what controls everything else here?" The center automaton, the only one with a distinct face, did not answer, but a voice within her head said "_I am not._"

Hikari considered this for a moment. If this thing really didn't control everything else, then most likely it would say that it was Alexander's anchor, to get her to fight it. The true Alexander wouldn't admit it, hoping that she would move on to another room, only to be destroyed when she turned her back on it. At least, considering that he wasn't telling the truth, but with all of the pipes that were coming from it, it was likely that he was lying.

_I really hope my logic is right,_ Hikari thought, then said "Alright." She clapped her hands together, and slapped her palms on the ground. A wave of stone went across the ground, destroyed the remains of the throne, and collided with the machine.

A shaking sensation went through the ground, like there was an earthquake…or, the castle was reacting to what was essentially its mind being injured.

There was a groaning noise. Around the room, hatches opened in the walls, and cannons fired interestingly not cannonballs, but bursts of light magic. She activated her Sharingan, avoiding the bursts when they came for her. However, when she jumped to avoid one, another one caught her in midair. Rather than burning her, or sapping her energy, it nailed her with raw kinetic energy, pushing her across the room. She hit the wall and slid down it.

She sat there in a daze for a moment. She shook it off, and went for the Mind. However, before she could reach it, the cannons stopped firing, and the room started to shake. The support pillars for the ceiling cracked. Hikari barely had the time to put her arms over her head before the roof started to collapse.

She made a rough burst of airbending before her, to push herself back into a corner. Hikari then tried to understand the Mind was so insistent upon its attacks, to the point of demolishing the rest of Alexander. It wasn't like she could do a lot of damage to it, there wasn't any metal around she could form into Diamondsteel, and it was made up of the same type of metal as the automaton…at least, that was what she had assumed.

Once the collapse had stopped, before the Mind could resume with another attack, Hikari looked for where she had attacked with the rock wave before. Sure enough, there was a dent in the metal, when there wouldn't have been on the automaton.

Hikari took a deep breath, and ran at the Mind as fast as she could. She drew her hand back, and landed a solid super-human punch right in the center of its face.

The entirety of Alexander shook, and a large dent came into the metal. While her hand was somewhat numb-it _was_ still metal-Hikari smiled slightly in triumph. She kept punching the Mind relentlessly, barely able to keep her footing from the shaking.

Cracks appeared in the walls. Pieces fell away, not only in the throne room, but all across Alexander. When Hikari made a two-handed overhead strike, the towers started to fall.

This was the straw that broke the camel's back. The other four parts of the Mind started to glow. A shockwave went through the ground, knocking Hikari off her feet. While the center part was nearly destroyed, the other four were untouched. The pipes behind them disconnected, and they slid out to surround Hikari.

A deep echoing voice spoke in her mind. _Die, Balance Princess._

Light burst from each as the rest of Alexander crumbled around them. As the technique, Divine Judgment, came at Hikari, for the first time she mentally replied back to Alexander.

_Never._

The castle started as nothing more than a see-through illusion. But as each moment passed, it became more solid. The hatred that had poisoned its foundations was expelled. The torches in the halls lit with golden flames, lighting everything evenly without shadows.

With barely a drop of energy left in her body, Hikari Ino still stood in the throne room. Just as the castle solidified, the world around her dissolved. For her, it was vanishing. She closed her eyes, and let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

The voice, strong and true, spoke to her one last time.

"_Good luck__."_

_

* * *

A/N: And with that goes the four Black Guardians who act as lieutenants. However, will the next one prove too much for even the undisputed strongest fighter in the Author Fighters to handle? Next time, Ranger24 takes on Gilgamesh, the Guardian of Humanity!_


	42. Ranger Vs Gilgamesh Pt 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

**Chapter 40: Ranger Vs Gilgamesh, Guardian of Humanity Part 1**

Ranger found himself in a stadium, like the Roman Coliseum, with walls ten feet tall surrounding him. The stands were empty, and the silence disconcerted him.

Twenty feet away from him, a pillar of darkness appeared, then dissipated, to show a young man who couldn't be any older than he was. He wore armor over his shoulders and wrists, and a red cape over his shoulders. A sword was slung across his back, and he had a belt on with many pouches. Despite his appearance, however, when he spoke he had the voice of a man.

He laughed. "So you're the one who's come to fight me, who actually thinks he can win. Gotta say, this might be interesting. Name's Gilgamesh."

"Ranger," he said simply.

Gilgamesh smirked. "Well then, Ranger, get ready!" Gilgamesh drew his sword, and brandished it. The hilt glinted gold, and while Ranger could not see it, engraved near the base of the sword was the name _Excalibur._

Guardian and Twilight crashed together in less than a moment, such was both of their speed. Ranger slid his sword aside, and dropped to the ground. He rolled around Gilgamesh, jumped up, and spun in an attempt to sever Gilgamesh's spine. The latter quickly blocked it. "Don't underestimate me. This won't be a one-stroke battle."

"Didn't expect it," Ranger spat, and held his hand out. "Twilight Firaga!" Burning twilight energy came from his palm and Gilgamesh barely avoided it. Ranger took the opportunity to stab the Black Guardian in the shoulder, then backed off a bit.

Gilgamesh glanced at the wound in his flesh, and sighed. "It's been a long time since anybody's managed to land an attack on me. I guess that you're decent."

"I'm not decent. I'm the best," Ranger said, cockiness thick in his voice.

"If you can defeat me, then maybe you're right," Gilgamesh said. He took his sword with both hands again, ignoring his injury. He charged at Ranger, who side-stepped it, and quickly grabbed his bow.

"Twilight Arrow!" he shouted, and fired an arrow, which Gilgamesh dodged. He fired another arrow, and another, but Gilgamesh dodged them like they were nothing.

Gilgamesh's sword glimmered, and the next arrow bounced right off the sword and back at Ranger. It tore through a bit of his cloak, but did no further damage. Ranger returned the bow to its place around his back, and drew his sword again. "So he's strong, and his reflexes are good, but I'm still faster than him."

Ranger took a deep breath, and ran at Gilgamesh with his sword at the ready, and Gilgamesh raised his sword to block…only for Ranger to run right past him, and skid to a stop. Ranger did it again, coming as though he were going for a running strike, but did nothing to attack Gilgamesh. He did it twice more, each time getting the Black Guardian more mad at him.

"Do something already!" Gilgamesh snapped, and the next time Ranger ran by, Gilgamesh thrusted at him. Ranger parried easily, rolled, and put a vertical cut up Gilgamesh's back. The Black Guardian was more shocked this time than the last. "How? You…specifically did nothing to get me impatient, and attack first," he realized in wonder.

Ranger smirked and grabbed one of his knives, and held in his off hand as Gilgamesh advanced closer to him. They circled each other, looking for an opening in the other's defenses. Gilgamesh faked low, and went high with his strike. Ranger parried, and went to drive his knife into Gilgamesh's side. He was mildly surprised when Gilgamesh recovered, and cut him in his forearm. Not deep, nor long, but Gilgamesh was still somewhat satisfied that he had done this. But not for long.

Ranger sliced at Gilgamesh, who held his blade up to defend. A screeching sound filled the air as the edges of the Moon Sword and Excalibur scraped against each other. Ranger breathed steadily as he pushed against Gilgamesh, who seemed to be actually impressed by his strength. Unlike the other Black Guardians, Gilgamesh's mind was still intact, at least to the point where he could tell a great fighter when he saw one-or fought one, in this case.

"But it doesn't matter," Gilgamesh muttered, the bloodlust instilled by the hatred in the end overcoming his curiosity to see Ranger become even greater than he was now. Gilgamesh whipped his foot around and kicked Ranger in the stomach, sending him skidding across the ground. "In the end, there will always be one stronger than you. And that person, is me."

Ranger took a deep breath. "You're not that person, and I won't let you become that person. Got it?" He gripped the Moon Sword with just one hand, and went at Gilgamesh tactically, going for small hits that wouldn't leave him open for punishment if he failed to make contact. Some Gilgamesh blocked, but he really lacked the kind of speed that Ranger had, and that made the difference.

"I will not lose to you," Ranger said quite calmly. "Your winning streak is going to end, today. I know this to be true."

Gilgamesh growled in a manner most animal-like. "You don't know enough of battle to say that!" He cut his own palm with Excalibur, and spread his blood along the blade. The metal turned dark. "Hellfire!" He stabbed the tip in the ground, and a fiery current flew through the ground, kicking up dirt and knocked Ranger off his feet. "Dimensional Leap!" Gilgamesh vanished, and reappeared behind Ranger to stab him in his left arm.

Excalibur sent a feeling of cold through Ranger as Gilgamesh pulled it from his flesh. By some stroke of luck, it hadn't gone all the way through his arm, so he could still move it, with some pain. He stood up solidly, not worried about his injury. He'd been hurt worse before.

Gilgamesh was still in a ready position, but the technique that he'd used, bending space as he did, took a lot out of him, and so this was his chance.

"Twilight Slash!" Ranger shouted and sliced through Gilgamesh's feeble defense, putting a large gash in his stomach. Black blood poured from the injury.

"You are, an in-between," Gilgamesh gasped. "Twilight Warrior. It has been a long time since I have fought one. He was young, weak, untrained. Could barely hold his sword. I allowed him to go free after teaching him a lesson. But, you are different. Stronger than I thought. Perhaps, it is necessary." He closed his eyes, and re-opened them. They had turned blood-red. "Yes…I must…

"You should count yourself lucky. I've been going easy on you. At the same time, however, I don't think you've truly understood how strong I am, by merely my appearance. In truth, I prefer the form of one older and stronger. I have been forced to assume this form. Humanity, in the end, directly counteracts the madness which has consumed every other Guardian." Gilgamesh laughed.

"Even like this, I am stronger than any other swordsman on Earth! Prepare yourself, Ranger24, Twilight Warrior, to truly face the power of Gilgamesh, the Guardian of Humanity!"

* * *

_A/N: Okay guys, enough with the mystical voice mumbo-jumbo, time to be serious. Unlike the other Black Guardians, who are based off of Final Fantasy summons, Gilgamesh is based off of a reoccuring boss in the Final Fantasy series. In his FFXII incarnation, he used swords based off of ones used by past Final Fantasy heroes. So, I've decided to let Gilgamesh use the swords of just about anybody. So in your review, if you so wish, give me any fictional sword, from any medium, anime, literature, videogames, and the series it's from, and I'll do my best to get it into part 2._


	43. Ranger Vs Gilgamesh Pt 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. All swords Gilgamesh uses have their names followed by their original wielder and the series it comes from in parentheses._

**Chapter 41: Ranger24 Vs Gilgamesh, Guardian of Humanity Part 2**

"Prepare yourself, Ranger, Twilight Warrior, to truly face the power of Gilgamesh, the Guardian of Humanity!" Gilgamesh said.

He passed Excalibur in front of his face, and it shimmered, changing form, as another pair of blades appeared sheathed on his back. Excalibur turned into a form very familiar to Ranger, so much so that he had to check his own blade to be sure it hadn't been switched.

No, Gilgamesh did not have the Moon Sword, rather a copy of it. When Gilgamesh came at Ranger, and the latter guarded, he saw that Gilgamesh's copy of the Moon Sword had the words "Made in China" on it.

"Déjà vu, correct?" Gilgamesh taunted, his voice having a strange double-timbre to it. "I have copies of some of the greatest swords in existence, giving me the freedom to fight in any way I wish. I am the master of blades." He slashed at Ranger with his Fake Moon Sword, and brought it back around to stab. Before he could recover, Ranger brought down his own sword in a powerful overhead, and Gilgamesh's sword shattered on impact.

"That's the thing about copies, never as good as the original." Ranger attacked, but Gilgamesh jumped back to avoid him, at the same time allowing the two swords he had across his back slip out of their sheaths. Instantly upon landing he grabbed one of the blades, a half-steel half-bronze blade called Backbiter (Luke, _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_) and parried a strike from Ranger.

Gilgamesh side-stepped away, and thrusted downward, aiming for the base of the Moon Sword's hilt. He twisted his wrist with the intent to disarm Ranger, only for the Twilight Warrior to draw a knife and stab Gilgamesh in the back of his hand. Gilgamesh cursed, and backed off.

Ranger took the moment to pull out a pistol and fired, aiming for Gilgamesh but instead hitting Backbiter, putting a crack into the blade. "Not what I meant to do but it works! Twilight Firaga!" It destroyed the magical blade on contact.

Gilgamesh growled, and took up the second sword, the Cadalbolg (Tidus, _Final Fantasy X_). From one of the pouches on his belt, he pulled out a metal piece, which unfolded into a Chinese saber (Sulu, _Star Trek_).

The two clashed. Despite Gilgamesh dual-wielding, Ranger was keeping up with him just fine, blocking strikes quickly and attacking right back. He could not, however, destroy either of the blades, because to build up the strength necessary to break one, he was required to leave himself wide open for attack.

Gilgamesh, while he was attacking and trying to break through Ranger's powerful defense, was gathering the magic power he needed. It wasn't something big, but he needed to be precise with it.

"_Slow,_" Gilgamesh said, his voice thick with magic. For him, Ranger's movement slowed to a crawl. For Ranger, it seemed like Gilgamesh was now moving as fast as a bullet.

Gilgamesh brought Cadalbolg back, and stabbed Ranger in the shoulder, all the way to the bone. It moved so fast, however, that his nerves didn't even register what had happened until the spell effect wore off.

What followed was a series of highly unprintable obscenities.

Twilight energy coated the moon sword's blade, and Ranger swept it around to destroy not just one, but both of Gilgamesh's swords. Shards of metal cluttered the ground.

Before Gilgamesh could recover, Ranger charged. But the Black Guardian could only smirk. Just as the moon sword passed through his own left arm, he clenched his other fist. An arm blade sprung from beneath his sleeve (Jeremiah, _Code Geass_), cutting through Ranger's stomach.

The moon sword dropped to the ground. Gilgamesh smiled triumphantly, as he let Ranger drop to the ground, on his knees.

"I believe that I-"

"Shut up already." Amazingly-or perhaps, at least to somebody who didn't know how strong Ranger was-the Twilight Warrior took the moon sword in hand, and stood again. "Now listen up. I'm really, really pissed off right now. So you can let me kill you, or you can regret being a fucking moron."

"You shouldn't be conscious right now, let alone be able to stand!"

"You're really stupid, aren't you?" A twilight aura started glowing around Ranger. The moon sword changed form. "Final Twilight Form."

Gilgamesh stomped on the ground, and a katana shot up, leaping into his hand just in time to defend himself. Somehow, Wado Ichimonji (Roronoa Zoro, _One Piece_) held. This was short-lived, as Ranger delivered another strike, destroying the sword.

Gilgamesh slammed both of his palms against the ground, and a trio of blades appeared. Another katana, the Shigure Kintoki (Yamamoto Takeshi, _Reborn_), and conversely two enormous swords, Zangetsu (Ichigo, _Bleach_) and the Decapitating Carving Knife (Zabuza, _Naruto_).

He picked up Zangetsu, blocked an attack, and said "Getsuga Tensho!" It released a wave of energy, which Ranger avoided easily, only to attack at the very base of the blade and knock it out of Gilgamesh's grip.

The Black Guardian picked up the Shigure Kintoki. "Beccata di Rondine." He stabbed forward ten, twenty times, though leaving little damage. "Shinotsuku Ame!" He cut widely, slashing around himself to leave a long cut across Ranger's chest.

Ranger barely noticed it. With his bare hand, he grabbed the Shigure Kintoki, and said "Twilight Firaga." The flames flew into the steel, heating the metal to the point where Gilgamesh was forced to release it or burn his hand.

Gilgamesh looked back for the Decapitating Carving Knife, but before he could reach it, Ranger released a single Twilight Arrow, knocking it across the stadium out of reach.

"You...you little BRAT! HOW! HOW CAN YOU FIGHT WITH HOW MUCH I HAVE INJURED YOU! HOW CAN YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE!" Another arrow was loosed to tear through his chest. "IMPOSSIBLE! YOU ARE NOT HUMAN!" He was silenced by the Dragon's Maw cutting his jaw apart.

"I won..." Ranger attacked Gilgamesh with a single stroke. The Black Guardian was dead before his brain could register any more pain. Ranger left his Final Twilight Form, and sheathed the Moon Sword. "...because I'm the best there is."

* * *

_A/N: Man I loved writing this one, this is the only fight where both the Author Fighter and the Black Guardian wield weapons of some form. The only other Black Guardian to have a weapon was Chaos's first form, and his opponent was Ross._

_And now, 14 are gone. One is left. Next time, the leader of the Author Fighters DarkPaladinmon battles the Guardian of Fantasy Bahamut, all or nothing!_


	44. DarkPaladinmon Vs Bahamut Pt 1

_Disclaimer: Total non-ownage over here._

_A/N: The crystals-you'll see in a second-are purely for aesthetic purposes. They have no affect on Bahamut's power level. Just wanted to make sure nobody got the wrong assumption._

**Chapter 42: DarkPaladinmon Vs Bahamut, Guardian of Fantasy Part 1**

Waiting for DarkPaladinmon (formerly DarkMagicianmon) was the last of the Black Guardians, a fierce dragon-like creature, whose lair was a floating steel platform in the middle of space.

His name was Bahamut, the Guardian of Fantasy, the imagination, unrestrained and yet not completely random. His arms were crossed over his chest, head slightly dipped, eyes closed. He was somewhere around eight feet long, not very big, but intimidating nonetheless.

The platform started to glow. From circles etched into the edge, shapes emerged, solidifying into fifteen glowing crystals. A copper boulder, a scarlet flame, a silver wing, a deep blue scale. A yellow bolt of lightning, a shimmering blue shard of ice. A purple tentacle, a golden horn, an orange feather. A violet orb, a white fang, a black scythe, a golden gavel. And through sheer coincidence, a sword, and a pen.(1)(2)

In a burst of light, DarkPaladinmon appeared. He was serious, and yet not eager to fight as some might be. Bahamut neither attacked him, nor said anything, at least at first.

"I knew this would happen. For fourteen days, the course of your world has been in a steady spiral downwards. And so, you fight for a world doomed anyways. Even if all of the Guardians are restored, it will be ripped to pieces regardless."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." DP took his staff in hand, and readied himself.

"How inspiring. If you truly wish to fight, I can't deny it to you, DarkPaladinmon, leader of the Author Fighters." Bahamut let out a powerful roar.

DP swept his staff through the air. "Burn to ash!" A wave of fire burst out, sweeping towards Bahamut, but the Black Guardian flew straight through it, charging for DP with his claws out. With a motion, DP created a semi-transparent shield. It stopped Bahamut in his tracks.

Bahamut flew back slightly, and let loose a storm of fireballs. DP made the shield split into several smaller ones, using his hands to direct their movements, blocking every single one. The shields came back together, and flew at Bahamut by its edge, leaving a cut across his foreleg.

Bahamut was not hindered in the slightest, flying at high speed straight across the platform. DP went low, and electricity covered the tip of his scepter. He swept it across Bahamut's underbelly, releasing a slight shock. In the same movement, he whipped his scepter around and released a shockwave through the air. Bahamut landed for just the moment he needed, sparks flying beneath his claws. DP slammed the blunt end of his staff into the ground, and a bright circle appeared beneath Bahamut. A beam of light shot up, consuming the Black Guardian.

Several laser bursts came out of the ensuing smoke cloud. DP avoided a few, but others managed to hit him, leaving scorch marks on his armor.

Bahamut stomped out of the dust, but instead of attacking immediately, stopped, as though distracted. He glanced over at the crystals which surrounded the platform. Two of them began to glow brighter than before. The horn and the wing grew too bright to be looked directly at for a moment, before bursting apart, one after another.

"So, they are done for. Unexpected, yet unsurprising," Bahamut muttered.

"'They'..." DP said to himself questioningly. He figured it out in moments. "Those crystals...they represent the other Guardians. And when they shatter..."

"Yes. The Guardians of Storm and Wind have fallen. But forget this, it wouldn't do for you to be distracted." Bahamut took to the air again, and swiped his claws through the air, releasing air blades. DP side-stepped, and released a series of thunderbolt from the end of his scepter. Bahamut took them without a sound.

Bahamut let out a roar, and a pair of meteors flew from the depths of space at DP. He destroyed one with a spell, and smashed the other apart in mid-flight. At the same moment, another crystal, the boulder for the Guardian of Earth, shattered.

DP said "Bind." Orbs of light came into existence, holding Bahamut's arms in place. "Fire, Ice, Lightning, three elements, follow my will and obliterate!" A spectral circle with runes on the outer edge appeared before DP, spinning faster and faster, before a golden beam blasted out at Bahamut, surrounded with flames, arcs of electricity, and shards of ice. It caught Bahamut directly in the chest, the force completely overcoming the binding spell and pushing him back fifty feet from the platform.

At that moment, the Guardians of Water, Ice, and Insanity were destroyed.

Bahamut flew high, and came slamming down onto the platform on all fours. He stiffened his muscles, and unleashed a wide beam. With a spell, DP blocked it. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. The spells were starting to take their toll.

DP swept his arm out theatrically, and pushed his palm forward. Spikes of ice sprung from the steel, one impaling Bahamut in the thigh. Bahamut snapped another spike off its base and threw it at DP. It was a bad throw, missing completely.

Shards of crystal flew through the air, from the crystal for the Guardian of Chaos. Moments later, the Guardian of Fire followed.

"Seven left. Six, not counting this brute. Come on, everyone, we can do this," DP said quietly. He held his scepter with both hands, and it thrummed with magical energy.

The two of them exchanged attacks and spells. DP landed them more often, but Bahamut had far more endurance. Crystals broke, signifying the slow success of the Author Fighters. The Guardian of Darkness went next. Lightning followed. The Sky was restored. Beasts and Humanity went at nearly the exact same moment, leaving only two left.

The Black Guardian stopped for a moment. Instead of continuing to fight, DP took the opportunity to clear his mind. "Would you care to know who is the last of your team, besides yourself?" Bahamut looked at the golden crystal shaped like a gavel. "A young woman with silver hair. She is strong, but not brutal."

"Hikari," DP muttered. _Come on, come on. I know you can win._ He defended himself while focusing on the crystal. A grin started to spread across his face when the crystal glowed brighter. The light spread, before the crystal broke apart completely.

"Well then, it appears that this is the last and longest. To the victor, whoever it may be," Bahamut said. A bright aura started to shine on the platform.

And the battlefield around them began to change.

* * *

_(1) In order, the crystals correspond to the Guardians of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, Ice, Insanity/Comic Relief, Storms, Sky, Chaos, Beasts, Darkness, Light, Humanity, and Fantasy._

_(2) "The pen is mightier than the sword" is what the 'by coincidence' thing refers to._


	45. DarkPaladinmon Vs Bahamut Pt 2

_Okay, guys, all together now!_

_Every former Black Guardian: Phoenix of the Darkness doesn't own anything._

**Chapter 45: DarkPaladinmon Vs. Bahamut Part 2: All's End**

DP took flight near-instantly after coming into the new battlefield, as they were now in the crater of a volcano, magma boiling below them. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. Bahamut hit the sides of the crater, making boulders fly out at DP. The Halfa pushed his hand out, and small energy blasts deflected them away. An orb of sorts came from the end of his scepter, aimed at the lava rocks at the lip of the volcano, exploding on contact to rain down on Bahamut.

_Earth, stability and strength, the ability to remain level-headed and control oneself._

The field changed to a rainforest, only slightly less hot than the volcano. DP let loose a trio of fireballs. They collided with Bahamut's chest, and DP snapped his fingers. "Blizzaja." A torrent of ice crystals flew at Bahamut, knocking the wind out of the Black Guardian.

_Fire, the energy which runs through all beings, good or evil, not destruction but life._

The face of a cliff, the wind blowing strong. Bahamut fired beams at DP, who barely blocked them with a spell. Bahamut cut his claws through the empty air fast enough to cut the air itself, wind blades flying at DP and knocking his scepter away from him.

_Wind, the flow of energy throughout a body and throughout the worlds._

A rocky outcropping in the midst of a powerful ocean. DP crossed his arms, and a violet sphere formed around Bahamut, dragging him to the ground. "Tsunami Strike." He pulled his hands back slowly but strongly, dragging the waves back to wash over Bahamut. With a hand motion, the water froze with Bahamut trapped with it. The ice shattered apart.

_Water, pure and constantly moving, the currents dragging it and whoever is in it wherever it __wishes._

A wide open field filled with dead, brown grasses, the clouds above thundering. Bahamut went into the air, starting to glow with a blue aura. He opened his maw, and dark energy began to gather just in front of his face. A dark orb six feet in diameter blasted out at DP. While he avoided it, Bahamut batted smaller but faster orbs at him, knocking him across the ground.

_Lightning, piercing and fast, cutting through everything, destroying without a thought._

An icy cavern, almost completely round. With an explosive spell, icicles rained down, but were caught by a second spell. With just a few movements, DP redirected them and let them fly at Bahamut, tearing larges holes in his wings. Bahamut let out a roar of pain.

_Cold and unfriendly, ice and snow draws out loners and unleashes the worst._

DP groaned at the seventh battlefield, as the water of the swamp soaked him from the knees-down. "Water!" Instead of a wave hitting Bahamut, a spurt of mud flew up, covering his arm. "For the love of God, what is this place, mud-element?"

_Insanity_ ("Oh."), _unpredictable, uncatchable, unstoppable, and only occasionally funny._

Light rain fell from the clouds above the mountain, with DP and Bahamut on the summit. Bahamut hit the ground with his closed fist, and a wave of earth came at DP, knocking him back several feet. A bolt of lightning from the above clouds came down at him, and narrowly missed him from a well-timed roll, leaving a scorch mark on the dirt.

_Storms, destruction and death, killing those who attempt to take control of it, instilling fear in all but the most stalwart._

DP didn't even wait for the field to completely change, before unleashing a grand fireball. It washed over Bahamut, and rays of light in the colors of the rainbow struck him in the chest, blasting away his scales and sending him to his knees.

_The sky, that which colors and engulfs everything._

A dark plain, cracked and dry, with craters in the earth surrounding them. A symbol in translucent light appeared in front of Bahamut. It turned yellow, and bolts of violet lightning were released at DP. "Refleja!" A shield appeared around DP, reflecting away the lightning bolts. Bahamut charged for him, and swiped at him. Not only did the shield take all of the force out of it, but it exploded apart, the shards cutting into Bahamut's forearm.

_Chaos, unpredictable and unstoppable, but focusing it may lead to a greater power._

A full moon hung overhead, lighting up the night. DP closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He held out one hand, and streams of energy arced out, forming into a dog-like shape. Controlling it by the threads of energy like a puppet master, the dog attacked Bahamut, clambering about the Black Guardian, scratching his torso and biting his arms. Bahamut swung his arm widely, hitting the dog and blasting it apart.

_The Beast, the pure instinct and quest for survival which lies at the heart of all living things._

Old skeletons long-dead were crushed to dust by continuous spells in the catacombs. DP's scepter began to glow, and the same glow came around the chains scattered across the ground. They sprang to life, binding Bahamut's legs together. But as DP charged a powerful spell, Bahamut froze the chains, shattered them, and a gust of wind blew DP across the room, and slammed him into a cobblestone wall.

_Darkness, the power to protect oneself and counterattack, fast and silent._

In a castle, Bahamut let loose a storm of beams from all angles at DP. The leader of the Author Fighters muttered a few words, and debris all across the throne room rose around him to take the hits. The pieces were blasted into dust from the beams, but protected him regardless.

_Light, too many facets to count, healing the side of good, burning away flesh on the side of evil._

The fourteenth battlefield was a coliseum, plain and simple, the stands rising up, empty of people. Bahamut, growing very tired, didn't attack immediately, instead considering his position. He could attempt to outlast DP, but with his injuries, he doubted he could do so, even with how little magic DP had to have left.

Bahamut slammed his forelegs into the ground to keep himself stable. Magic gathered in front of him, swimming through his body, channeling every drop of power he had left in his system. The magic turned to flames of every color, orange dominant, but red, blue, and white there as well.

DP saw it, and dropped his scepter, holding out both hands. He could only hope that he had enough magic left for what he was hoping to do.

As Bahamut unleashed his ultimate attack, and a magical shield appeared in front of DarkPaladinmon, each said two words.

"MEGA FLARE!"

"DARK SHIELD!"

Flames pushed against the nearly-black shield, putting a steady drain on DP's magic reserves. It became a bear to just hold his arms up, but if he lost his focus, even for a moment, the Mega Flare would destroy him.

_Humanity. The intelligence which separates us from the animals. The strength to keep moving forward even in the darkest times._

The platform in the midst of space once again, only one crystal, the pen, remaining. The Guardian of Fantasy collapsed onto his stomach. "Very good. Very good. You are indeed worthy."

DP took up his staff again. Later he'd need to take a very long nap, but Bahamut wasn't finished just yet. Violet energy began to swim through the orb in the end of it. "Dark..." The final crystal began to glow brightly. "...Magic..." On earth, the clouds started to lighten, the thunder stopping, the rain slowly become less strong. "...Attack!"

A burst of darkness flew from his scepter. It met Bahamut, and sliced straight through him like an arrow. As Bahamut's eyes closed, the final crystal shattered apart. DP let a smile of relief spread across his face.

_Fantasy. Because everything that ever is, or was, began with a dream._

_

* * *

_

**A/N**: I still can't believe the Black Guardian fights are finally over. All this school year, that's been in my thoughts. "What should I do for the next battle, this? Or should I do this? No, that's stupid, this is what I should do." And they're over.

And now, only one battle left. Next time, see Phoenix of the Darkness (That's Me!) take on Omega, in one final clash!


	46. The Awakening

_For the last three chapters of this fic (this one, the next one, and the epilogue), I'm dedicating each one to a very important person(s) in my life. This chapter is dedicated to my dad, a great man even in the real world, who despite his faults is one of the greatest people I've ever met._

**Chapter 46: The Awakening**

The storms which had covered the world were slowly leaving, lightening into rain with little thunder. The clouds overhead were still thick enough to prevent the sun's rays reaching the earth, until the source of the hatred and grief which covered the world would be eliminated.

_Los Angeles, California..._

Even with the massiveness of the city, only one person was out in the streets. A teenage girl in a long black coat, brown hair tied back in a ponytail, an orange and red keyblade in hand. With her off-hand, she held the collar of her shirt closed, the temperature still very low despite being the date being the 21st of July.

Phoenix stopped suddenly in the street. She narrowed her eyes, and walked up to the front door of the church which had caught her attention. A small light came from the tip of the Firebird, and with a _click,_ the door came open. She stepped through slowly, breathing to calm her wild nerves. It wasn't working.

Omega-in-Griffin's-body stood near the altar. He smirked at the sight of Phoenix. "Interesting, how interesting. With how little you choose to depend on your instincts, I didn't think you'd be able to detect me. Not that I'd need even the first turn to win." He adjusted the Diamondsteel alchemy ring he wore on his left hand. He hit his hand against the altar, the metal warping in his hand into a claymore. Electrical sparks danced over the blade, turning the metal into Diamondsteel.

"Before I take checkmate," Omega said, "Do you have any last requests?"

"None. Because I won't be defeated by you." Phoenix gripped her keyblade with both hands.

"Come now, there must be something. Maybe a few last words with Griffin? Or the memories of your missing year? Or perhaps, even just the memory of your father's death?" He was gleefully taunting her, his smile growing ever wider as she grew more angry. Phoenix's breath caught with the next few words, as they came in Griffin's voice. "_Nii-chan_, come on, it's me." But his eyes remained the same.

"You, son of a bitch!" She charged at Omega, meeting him in the middle of the aisle. The Firebird and his nameless blade clashed, sending sparks through the air.

Omega's voice returned to his own. He continued to taunt her as she tried to overcome him, while he put about a third of his strength into holding her back. "After you've lost, I know that your friends won't be happy. I'll kill them too. Perhaps I lost this world, but there are plenty of others out there, and I don't want the Author Fighters disturbing my set-up.

"Maybe I'll go after Unity again. Or what about some of those worlds with friends you treasure so much? Radiant Garden, the Shinobi World, Gran Pulse. I'll kill them all, one by one." He laughed evilly. "Looks like I made the little girl cry!"

Tears of rage spilled down Phoenix's face. She roared in anger, whipping her left hand around. "Gravity Slam!" The burst knocked him back. "Why do you hate me so much! I'm not a little girl, I'm fifteen years old, and I'll kill you just the same!"

"If you really want to know so much..." Omega held out his hand, and snapped his fingers. "..._Remember._"

Phoenix flinched, and groaned in pain. She gripped her temples in pain. "What is this...I don't..."

_"Don't you lay a hand on my daughter."_

"_I love you."_

_ "Don't go after your dad, you're to stay right here."_

_ "Tell your sister and your mother, I will always love you all."_

_ "Daddy, please wake up! Stop sleeping, wake up!"_

"I will always see you as that little six year old girl, crying over your father's dead body," Omega said, straight-faced. "To me, you aren't a keybearer. You're just a teenager going around claiming to be the master of your keyblade, when you can't even use it at the level of an apprentice."

"I don't understand, I've defeated countless heartless-"

"Do you really believe that's the rules to this game? Destroy heartless? You clearly haven't read the rulebook." Omega made hand seals, and lightning arced out at Phoenix, rattling her teeth. He moved like a blur, across the ground at high speed. Phoenix tried to raise Firebird to defend herself, but he batted it away like it was nothing more than a stick, and spun around her, drawing his blade from her hip to her shoulder across her back. She stumbled in pain as her duster became stained in blood.

Omega's hand played across his face. He closed his eyes and smirked. "What's this? Dark scents are in the air. It appears your friends have discovered that you're here. Maybe it was the fewer amount of heartless about?"

_Or it might have been the upside-down hummer that I threw across the road,_ Phoenix thought somewhere in the back of her mind.

"However it was, they're looking for you. I can bankrupt several with a single move."

Phoenix ignored the analogy, in favor of attacking him again, only for him to parry her move and cut her shoulder. "No, you won't! I'll take you down before they can get here, I won't let any of my friends get hurt, they're too important to me."

Omega turned to her, again speaking in Griffin's voice. "I thought I was the most important person in your life? Guess you just forgot about me. I get that. Keybearers are supposed to have a lot of friends. Maybe the old friends just aren't as important as new ones." Omega changed back to his own voice.

"Or wasn't it your father who was so great to you? In fact, is any of your family of any importance? I mean, you forgot about your own sister. You just left her at home, alone, mother too busy to ever come home. No wonder she left to find her own path in life. And you just didn't care, too busy fighting Darksides and playing games with the Author Fighters."

"I never forgot Double-G-"

"Liar. You need to work on your acting. You just didn't care any more. After you became an Author Fighter, all of your greatest goals-helping your sister, finding me, avenging Griffin-took a backseat to carrying out a prank war with X Prodigy, Mistress of Dawn, and Agent Liberi."

"Shut up!"

"It's true. You never spared a thought for anything else. You just pretended it didn't exist. After all, wasn't it only twenty-four hours ago that you told your 'friends' the truth of who you were?"

Phoenix grew silent. Omega smiled. "You can't argue any more. Just give it up already." He took his sword in both hands, lifted it over his head, and swung downwards at Phoenix. She made a feeble attempt to protect herself with her keyblade. When the Diamondsteel blade met the Firebird, the impossible occurred.

The keyblade shattered apart in her hands.

"Oho. The keyblade...a truly marvelous weapon. It reflects the state of the heart which wields it. And when it shatters apart like that..." Omega trailed off. He'd finally succeeded in what many had failed to do. Crack the impenetrable wall which surrounded a keybearer's heart.

The young woman's eyes were still focused on her hands. She had the keychain of the Firebird, a golden sun, cradled in her fingers. All of the other pieces of her keyblade had vanished. Phoenix looked up, and scrambled away when Omega stabbed straight downwards.

"Check," Omega said in glee, and cut her across her chest. She let out a cry of pain. He lifted her up by the collar of her shirt, and laughed deeply. He threw her across the church with inhuman strength, and she slammed into the wall, and slid to the floor.

She looked at the the sun-shaped keychain, now covered in her own blood. The last thing that happened before she blacked out was the door flying open. She saw two people run into the church. One in a blue japanese schoolgirl's outfit, the other wearing a jean jacket and sunglasses, both girls.

Phoenix saw them start to run over to her. She couldn't say anything to them, warn them to get away. She closed her eyes, and everything went dark.

The next thing she saw wasn't the church, or even a hospital room. Phoenix briefly considered the thought that she was dead, before she dismissed the idea. It was far too cool to be hell, and too dark to be heaven. It was some kind of glowing, stained-glass platform.

With death and the real world eliminated as possibilities, she pinched her nose shut, and tried to breathe in regardless. She was able to breath anyways, and came to the conclusion that she was asleep (since the dream body is separate from the real body).

"Wait, I'm asleep! No, I can't! I've got to wake up!" She started hitting herself in the head in a feeble attempt to wake herself up.

"_Calm down. Here, in the depths of the heart, a thousand years may pass in less than a moment on the outside,_" said a disembodied voice.

"Hmph. I don't suppose you have any ideas for how I can fix my keyblade?" The voice gave no answer. "If you don't have an answer, then let me wake up!" She clutched her head. "This can't be real. Of course it's not real, it's a dream. Damn it!"

_"First sign of insanity, talking to yourself. Second sign of insanity, arguing with yourself."_

"..."

The voice sighed. Somehow, the voice seemed almost familiar to her. _"Tell me, what is your path? Would you look for enemies, and strike them down?"_ A sword appeared on a pedestal. _"Would you seek out the mysteries of the world around you, leaving the fighting to others?"_ A staff appeared on a second pedestal. _"Or would you not seek evil, but fight it when it threatens those close to you?"_ A shield appeared on a third and final pedestal.

Phoenix took only a moment to consider it. She walked over to the shield, and laid her hand on it. It began to glow, and turned into an orb of light. It flew in front of her, and entered her chest, over her heart. In a moment, the empty feeling which had held her from the moment her keyblade shattered went away, filled with a new strength.

A walkway to another platform appeared. Phoenix walked across it in silence, the voice making no comments. When she looked at the stained glass picture, she gasped in surprise.

"That's me." Or maybe it would be her. She looked somewhere around a year older. A necklace with a ring tied onto it was strung around her neck. Her duster was white as snow. In her right hand, the picture-Phoenix held a different keyblade than the Firebird. The hand guard curved around but didn't connect at the bottom of the handle, both handle and guard colored light blue. The color slowly shifted to white moving up the simple shaft, and in the strike zone was a star burst, with a crescent moon outside of it. The keychain took the shape of a silver heart.

However, taking a second look at the picture made her notice a dark being behind her picture-self, lurking in the shadows.

The voice spoke again. _"The Dive into the Heart. Most keybearers enter it before gaining their keyblade. But it has happened after, on some occasions."_

Phoenix closed her eyes. "Who are you?" There was nothing but silence in response. Then: "Dad?"

From the mist which surrounded the stained glass platform, a distinctly human shape emerged, solidifying into a man in everyday clothes. He had a full head of dark hair, and eyes that were the same shade as Phoenix's.

"I couldn't be more proud of you," Marcus Silver, and of the Darkness, said to his daughter.

Phoenix cried in his arms for what seemed like forever. She told him all that had happened to her, and all that she knew about what had happened to Goddess. He was silent through her stories, only occasionally making a comment. Phoenix didn't mind. Whether a ghost, or an echo of who he had once been, to see her father again was more than she had ever asked for.

"I think I understand now." Marcus grew serious. "You fight using the keyblade like a sword, instead of what it is."

"You mean a sword that looks like a key?" Phoenix said sarcastically.

"It's a weapon of the heart. And if you only fight by yourself, without trusting your friends to be behind you, then you'll fall to pieces every single time."

"I do trust my friends, and I trust them to not get hurt. It's just, I have to take down Omega on my own!"

Marcus sighed. "How can I put this...your greatest weapon gains its power from those around you. I'll give you a hint. It's not this." In a burst of light, his golden keyblade, the Ragnarok, appeared. "It isn't the keyblade that you're fighting with. It's this." He pointed at her heart.

Phoenix placed a hand over her heart...then looked up cynically at her dad. "Stop trying to sound like a wise old sage, would ya?" She laughed anyways, and his laughter joined into hers.

"You'd be surprised at what I know." Marcus leaned over and whispered into her ear. Phoenix listened carefully to his words, and her eyes slowly widened.

"I understand...thank you, dad." She hugged him tightly. "Will I ever see you again after this?"

"I'll always be with you, and your sister, too. Make sure to give her my love."

"I wouldn't dare forget." Phoenix looked again at the picture on the platform. "Could I ask you two questions about that picture?" Marcus nodded. "Is that going to be me?"

"It is what you might be, depending upon your own choices. It's a possibility. And the other question?"

Phoenix pointed at the shadow that had disconcerted her so. "What's that shadow?"

Marcus's eyes softened, and a sad expression came across his face. "It is...not my place to tell you who she is."

"She...so it's a person...thanks anyways." Phoenix kept her father in her sights, until everything had fallen to darkness in her eyes again, and the Station of Calling vanished.

Her first sight waking up was confirmation that it had indeed been only a moment since she'd fallen unconscious. Kitten was trying to shake her awake, while Dawn stood in front of them both, to stop Omega if he tried to attack while she was out of it.

"I'm really awake this time? God, tell me I'm awake." Phoenix shook her head, and tried to push herself off the ground.

"Stop, you'll hurt yourself more!" Kitty exclaimed.

"No. I'm going to be find. Is anybody else out looking?"

"Everyone who fought one of the Guardians."

"Right, so fifteen." Phoenix slowly stood up, ignoring Kitty's pleads for her to stop, and walked past Dawn.

"Wait, Phoenix, what are you-"

"It's alright. It's not like I'm gonna do anything stupid," Phoenix said, smiling slightly.

"To try and fight me again would be idiocy," Omega said when he heard her comment.

Phoenix sighed, and pulled off her duster. It'd only get in the way. "The reason that I didn't spend all of my time searching for you, trying to avenge Griffin? It's because it's not what he would have wanted. Revenge burns people out. If I hadn't stopped, then when I had finally achieved what I had been wanting for so long, I would have had nothing left in life. He was like a brother to me, and he wanted me to be happy."

Phoenix walked down the aisle of the church. Light began to gather around her gauntleted hand. Magic played over the cuts she had sustained from Omega, healing them over. "And so, even after you're gone, I'll stay with the Author Fighters. I'll fight alongside my friends. Because with friends like these, who needs enemies?" She started running at Omega, who raised his claymore.

She jumped through the air, as the light in her hand solidified into the same keyblade her picture-self had been holding. As it broke through the Diamondsteel claymore, a name echoed through her mind. _A Flicker of Hope._

Before Omega could even begin to recover, a second keyblade appeared in Phoenix's left hand. Deep blue all over, a shield in the strike zone, and a crystal as the keychain. _The Diamond Guardian._

"No...impossible..."

A bright aura appeared around Phoenix's body. She spun both keyblade, and they came together into an X. "Not impossible, just improbable. The very same power that my father used to defeat you, the power that's been passed through my family for generations. This is the Power of the Knights!"


	47. Knight Mode

_This chapter is dedicated to my little sister, known here as Dark Guitar Goddess. Thanks, sis, for listening to my rambling all the time, regarding everything from fan-fictions to Kingdom Hearts. Forget about family, you're my best friend._

**Chapter 47: Knight Mode**

Part of the church's roof was blasted away from the force of Phoenix being sent flying through it by Omega's lightning jutsu. She landed hard on the roof, and rubbed her temple. "So much for a heroic assault."

Below, Omega blasted through a wall, and Phoenix leaped down from the roof. Omega barely spotted her, and brought up a blade to parry her, and leaped around her, whipping his sword around at her spine. She spun to block him.

"Reacting faster than normally possible. But there is a weakness to that ability." Dark bolts of lightning rained down, one striking Phoenix through, too fast to be avoided. "As long as its fast enough, just because your mind sees it, doesn't mean your body can move fast enough." He fueled his sword with darkness, and swung his blade overhead, breaking through Phoenix's defense completely, leaving a cut across her shoulder. "And if the attack's strong enough, it doesn't matter speed of reaction, because your own physical strength can't keep up." He made a few hand seals, and the concrete beneath them struck Phoenix in her chest, sending her flying back ten feet.

"You get so confident that you'll be able to beat me with a new power, but it's only new to you. I faced your father three different times while he was using Knight Mode, I know it like the back of my hand."

Phoenix took a deep breath as she stood back up. She closed her eyes, and became a blur as she ran across the ground, holding two keyblades in one hand for a moment while she snatched the sword Omega had been using away from him. She threw it away from her, and went back into a battle position. "Go to hell."

Omega formed a new sword, resembling a wakizashi, and infused it with darkness. They went at each other with all they had, knocking away attacks while keeping up strong defenses, and searched for an opening. Omega stabbed, aiming for her neck, but she deflected it with Diamond Guardian. With her new keyblade, she slashed at his shoulder, but he caught the shaft with his other hand. His sword caught her in her side, and she gasped in pain at it buried itself a half inch in her body.

By instinct, she let an orb of light gather at the tip of her keyblade, and it flew at Omega, and he slid back a few feet, bringing the sword with him. Phoenix held her keyblades together by the hilts, one end facing each direction. The handles fused, to created a dual-ended sword. While any other time, she would have found wielding a weapon like this difficult if not impossible, Knight Mode not only gave her enhanced strength and reflexes, but new skills as well.

Omega, however, was still smiling. The only reason he'd been so surprised that Phoenix had unlocked Knight Form earlier was because it had come out of nowhere, simple as that, but everything Phoenix had done up to this point, including combining her keyblades, had been done before by Marcus. He knew every technique she could do, its strengths, and weaknesses.

Which was why he changed the form of his sword into a rapier, instead of something like a broadsword. Instead of engaging in a futile effort of trying to block her strikes, he dodged around her spinning keyblades, side-stepping and rolling to avoid being cut. While this form of the keyblade had a large amount of offensive capability, it had almost no defense. Omega struck forward as soon as her combo finished, and nearly skewered Phoenix.

Phoenix split her keyblades apart again, and Omega's sword returned to the form of a wakizashi. _Think, think, I need to do something._ As she thought, she held off Omega both with her keyblades and a few Gravity Slams.

"Earth Release: Boulder Toss." Chunks of concrete from the road flew straight at Phoenix.

She said a quick prayer under her breath, and flicked her keyblades spinning through the air. "Dual Raid!" They sliced through the rocks, and struck Omega before flying back to her. She snatched them up, and winced. She glanced at her hands. The skin on her left palm-the right still hidden by her gauntlet-was turning slightly red.

"Whatever, doesn't matter," Phoenix muttered. White flames licked along the edges of her keyblades. She clashed with Omega, he now wielding a broadsword. Sparks flew off the edges, spraying about them. He charged his sword with electricity, and when he next parried her, a shock ran through her body. He cut her forearm deeply, and the Flicker of Hope fell out of her hand.

With a thought, Phoenix reduced the gravity holding her down, and jumped into the air. She kicked Omega in the chest, pushing him back some, but pushing her the other way more. She landed on the ground, and held up Diamond Guardian, the white flames around it growing fierce. "Night Flame!" An arrow of flames flew from the keyblade, striking Omega through his stomach.

Phoenix didn't get a chance to enjoy her first major strike against him, because she almost immediately felt like something was hammering on the inside of her skull. Her vision went blurry for a moment.

As this happened, Omega was creating a new pair of blades. Phoenix barely got a chance to recover when Omega came at her. She summoned the Flicker of Hope back to her-ignoring the screaming pain in her arm-and blocked his initial strike.

"Losing the game in your head, eh? Perhaps it's the lack of armor, I always thought it was just decoration, but maybe it was a hidden card your father forget to tell you about." He grinned at the sight of Phoenix trying to keep from stopping fighting and screaming in pain.

She hadn't noticed it at the beginning, but when she really starting letting out the strength that came from Knight Mode, a creeping pain had begun to enter her limbs. She hadn't realized the sheer amount of energy there was, and she'd let it all out without a thought, and there wasn't reducing the amount. It was staying at 100%, or cutting out completely.

_If you don't cut out soon, you'll die,_ said the voice in the back of her head, the one that spoke up whenever she was about to do something really stupid.

Phoenix let a large amount of energy flow into her keyblades. Each one split down the middle into two different swords, so she now had four total, holding two in each hand.

"Oh yes, 'Storm of Blades', like I've _never _seen that before," Omega said sarcastically.

"Have you seen this?" She released the blades from her grip, but they didn't just drop to the ground and vanish.

Disruptions in the air around them came into existence. Phoenix had just enough of her own strength left to manipulate gravity for one more move. Each sword came around to point at Omega.

"To be honest, I've never killed another living human being in my life. For half of the time that I was searching for you, I thought that I'd be able to draw Griff's mind back out, take you down. Learned I was wrong the hard way."

_"Griffin, please, I know you're in there, fight!"_

_ Omega only laughed, and while her defense was down, wrapped a hand around her neck, and __lifted her off the ground. "You're stupider than I could have guessed. But, since I don't want people saying I'm a cruel game master, I'll give you another chance." With his other hand, he created a portal. Phoenix couldn't say anything, but she still had a pleading expression on her face._

_ He threw her into the portal. He hadn't sent it anywhere specific, but he didn't really care either. He walked away from the spot, never hesitating, never looking back._

"I hate you. There's a lot of people I've hated, but I want you to die, and you deserve to die for the number of people you've killed, the amount of blood you've spilled, the lives you've ruined."

"You think you've won, just by giving me game over? In the end, you won't win, but you'll only have blood on your hands. The first is always the hardest. But with every person you kill, it gets easier and easier." Omega laughed. "Who knows? Maybe one day you'll find that you can kill anyone without another thought. You'll become just like me."

Phoenix's eyes flashed. "Shut up."

Omega stiffened as the four swords flew forward, piercing him all the way to their hilts. He staggered when they vanished into bursts of light, his swords dropping to the ground. He collapsed to the ground, flat on his back. He struggled with one last breath, and was still.

The aura around Phoenix faded, and she kneeled down beside him. Tears fell down her face when she saw his eyes. The gold had drained out of them, leaving only pure blue. She closed his eyelids. "Goodbye, Griffin, my old friend."

_"The blue of my eyes was extinguished tonight; the red gold of my heart."_

_ -_Georg Trakl, "By Night", Poems

* * *

_A/N: A year ago today, I started Author Fighters: The Black Guardians. But there's still one chapter left. Next time: The Epilogue._


	48. Epilogue: 2 Days Later

_Disclaimer: All self-inserts belong to their respective owners. All concepts belong to their creators. The song "Viva la Gloria (Little Girl)" belongs to Green Day, I just chose it for this fic's theme song and ending credits song. I only own my own self insert._

_This chapter is dedicated to all of the Author Fighters. Because with friends like these, who needs enemies?_

**Epilogue: Two Days Later**

"Ah, the smell of biased journalism. Makes me want to throw up," DP muttered when he saw a newspaper a doctor was reading, the _South LA Beacon Journal_. On the front page, a caption reading 'Heroic as They're Claimed to Be? Author Fighters leave Los Angeles during crisis.'

It hadn't been a clean win at all for the Author Fighters. They had certainly won, of course. The Black Guardians were done for, and Omega was gone. However, almost every Author who had fought had been injured to the point of needing medical care. Cuts, burns, slight frostbite, internal bleeding, it was all over the place.

It was difficult to say who had been the most injured. Dawn, Ranger, and X had all lost large amounts of blood, Nukid had 2nd degree burns across 75% of his body (now almost completely healed by the Green Life Aura), and Goddess had broken four ribs and her right arm in three places.

However, it was clear who had been the most exhausted. It was DW who found Phoenix, near the end of the street where she had fought Omega. She said "He's gone" and collapsed. She proceeded to sleep for the next thirty hours straight. At least, that's what they thought.

In reality, Phoenix had only slept for the next sixteen hours, for the rest of that day and through the night. The entire day afterwards, she faked that she was sleeping to avoid having to talk to anybody, and continued to do so the second day after they had won. She also had a second reason for not saying that she was awake, and that was because moving at all hurt like hell. She had overheard the doctor saying that some of the nerve endings in her arms had been burned away, and she was healed by Hikari. That, combined with several broken bones and burns across twenty percent of her body made her not want to move at all.

Almost everyone thought that she was genuinely asleep. But not everyone was convinced. Ross was the first (his suspicions likely supplemented by the fact that he had taken a glimpse into her mind at the time she had been counting the dots in the ceiling tiles), and he'd managed to convince Nukid, Kitty, and Lunatic. Loony had been all for throwing a stink bomb into Phoenix's bed, but his entire stash of ninja gear had been confiscated by D-Dude.

Phoenix turned over in her hospital bed to look at the wall. She closed her eyes immediately when she heard somebody coming over. She slightly opened one eye, and who else would it be but Ross. While he had been injured, it hadn't been more than a few scratches.

"Hey Phoenix," Ross said. She didn't react at all, clearing her mind in case he decided to try reading her mind. "Come on, Phoenix, we all know that you're faking it."

"Ross, would you please stop that?" DP said tiredly. "She's not awake."

"Maybe, but I'm not so sure. And I've got a perfect test." He came over to the side of her bed, and she shut her eyes completely. Ross pulled out a plastic case with a silver cover, and opened it up. "Now Phoenix, if you can hear me, here I've got your Kingdom Hearts II disc. We both know how much you love Kingdom Hearts. You probably don't want anything happening to your disc." He grinned. "Nukid, you brought the shredder, right?" There was a slight whirring noise as the paper and plastic shredder started up.

Phoenix forgot that she was supposed to be sleeping, and jumped up, snatching at the disc. "Don't you dare-" She then remembered her second reason for faking sleep as pain shot through her lower back. "AAYYEEEEEE!" She fell back on her bed, trying to get her mind onto other things. Like, say, what she would do to Ross once she was able to move. "Ow ow ow ow I'm ow gonna ow kill you!"

"You see, I was right!" Ross exclaimed to DP. The Digimon stared at him flatly.

"Yes, congratulations, your life is now forfeit."

The pain finally fading, Phoenix tried to relax. "Yeah, I was awake. But now I'm tired. Good night!"

"It's one in the afternoon," X said. "You've slept who knows how long, you're just being dramatic"

"Did you almost kill yourself unleashing a new power and kill your best friend recently?" Phoenix snapped at him. "Maybe after you've done that, you'll feel a little tired too!"

"I've almost killed myself dozens of times, it's nothing special," X muttered.

"Of course, I should have known, since you're so stupid you probably walk into death traps on a daily basis!"

"One of these days, you guys are going to get in a ton of trouble from your arguing," Kitty said as she rubbed her temples.

"Stay out of it!" Phoenix and X said at the same time.

"Maybe we should talk about more important things? Like, say, what happened before Dawn and Kitten showed up at the church where you were fighting Omega," Ross suggested. Phoenix became silent. "Unless you don't want to talk about it-oh, that's why you were faking being asleep..."

"You're a regular Einstein, Ross," Nukid said sarcastically.

Phoenix lowered her gaze, and sighed. "I only want to tell it once, if I have to tell it at all. So, I'll tell it to the people here in this room. If anybody else wants to know, they'll have to ask one of you guys. Okay?" There were a few nods. "Okay."

Phoenix started into the story, telling the ten Authors who were in the hospital room what had happened to her. She told them that her missing memories were of the Unity Civil War for the most part, most likely so that Phoenix wouldn't have any memories of Omega previous to him possessing Griffin. She tried to gloss over Omega's speech to her, telling her exactly how she failed as a human being. She started to tear up when she told them about what happened in the Station of Calling.

"He leaned over, and whispered into my ear:"

_"When I died, my legacy passed onto you. I must be honest, I always expected for your sister to be more likely to gain a keyblade than you. To be the Knight, to have this power, is an enormous responsibility. But, I know you can use it wisely."_

She finished with waking up from the dream, and summoning the two keyblades. "I imagine Dawn and Kitty told you the rest from there."

There was silence for a moment. Ross then asked "So, what is that whole 'Knight Mode' bit? Just a power passed down through your family?"

"Something like that. Though, it's incomplete. I released all of the power that there was, and you see what happened. There's something more to it that I'm missing, something meant to focus the power.

"So until I can figure out what that part is, I guess I'll have to limit how much I release. That, or use it so rarely that it doesn't matter if I get hurt. Either way, it's dangerous as it is now, dangerous but useful."

Nobody else had any questions, and with that story told, Phoenix laid down completely in her bed. She fell asleep for real, not awakening until much later in the night.

_2:00 P.M., July 23rd..._

The few Author Fighters that had remained in the hospital were let out at noon. After a meeting at the HQ, everyone had left to assist with the reconstruction effort in Los Angeles. The headquarters was almost entirely empty. Almost being the operative word.

Phoenix was in her bedroom, searching through her clothes for a jacket to wear out. A silver ring hung on a chain around her neck. A knock came from the hall. "Come in!" She turned and huffed at the sight of Ross.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday. If you want, I could erase all memory of what happened. Seriously, I can do that," Ross said, cracking a smile. Phoenix just shook her head. "I seriously didn't mean anything by what I did."

"I know, I know, I forgive you." She then noticed he was carrying around a white box. "What, got Marisa a gift or something?"

"Oh, this? No, actually, Goddess heard me say I was heading back here, and asked me to give it to you, since your old one got trashed." He threw the box to her, and she opened it up, and smiled.

She pulled out the clean white duster. "Couldn't ask for a better sister," she said as she slipped it on.

"Though she is kind of insane. She's still ecstatic that she got to join the Author Fighters."

"Say what now?" Phoenix sighed, and laughed. "Now I get to see her every day, just like old times! Great."

"I doubt she could be any more irritating that anybody else here, she's just as insane as we all are," Ross pointed out.

"Oh, you'd be surprised what she can pull off." Phoenix smiled at the thought of Goddess as an Author Fighter, subconsciously fingering her necklace. The ring was silver, and quite large. Close examination revealed it to be Griffin's Diamondsteel Alchemy Ring.

"Y'know," Phoenix said, as she looked out the window at the bright summer day outside, "I never thought that I'd ever be able to have friends as good as Griff was ever again. Couldn't have been more wrong about that, could I?"

"I'm sure you've been more wrong about other things," Ross said as he flicked her nose teasingly.

"Oh, ha ha, I'm sure you'll be laughing when I beat you outside!" Phoenix said as she pushed him away and shot out the door. Ross grinned, and vanished with a Chaos Control.

"You cheater! That's cheap!"

He laughed as he ran backward faster than she could run normally through the streets.

**BGBGBG**

_**Little girl, little girl**_

_**Why are you crying?**_

_**Inside your restless soul,**_

_**your heart is dying.**_

_Nukid: Vic Mignogna_

_Hurricane's Quill: David Wittenburg_

_**Little one, little one**_

_**Your soul is purging**_

_**Of love and razor blades**_

_**Your blood is surging**_

_Dimensiondude: Doug Jones_

_TLSoulDude: Joaquin Phoenix_

_**Runaway**_

_**From the river to the streets**_

_**And find yourself with your face in the gutter**_

_**You're a stray for the salvation army**_

_**There is no place like home**_

_**When you got no place to go**_

_Kittten Hatchi-chan: Kaori Nazuka_

_Lunatic121: James Arnold Taylor_

_**Little girl, Little girl**_

_**Your life is calling**_

_**The charlatans and saints**_

_**Of your abandon**_

_The Angelic Soldier: ?_

_Roscoso: Daniel Craig_

_**Little one, little one**_

_**The sky is falling**_

_**Your lifeboat of deception**_

_**Is now sailing**_

_Mistress of Dawn: Hayden Panetierre_

_DarkGuitarGoddess: Alyson Stoner_

_**In the wake (all the way)**_

_**No rhyme or reason**_

_**Your bloodshot eyes**_

_**Will show your heart of treason**_

_X Prodigy: Jason Statham_

_Ranger24: Yuri Lowenthal_

_**Little girl, little girl**_

_**You dirty liar**_

_**You're just a junkie**_

_**Preaching to the choir**_

_Hikari Ino: Stephanie Sheh_

_DarkPaladinmon: Christian Bale_

_**Runaway**_

_**From the river to the streets**_

_**And find yourself with your face in the gutter**_

_**You're a stray for the salvation army**_

_**There is no place like home**_

_**When you got no place to go**_

_Phoenix of the Darkness: Dakota Fanning_

_Griffin: Vic Mignogna_

_**The traces of blood **_

_**Always follow you home**_

_**Like the mascara tears**_

_**From your getaway**_

_Marcus Silver (of the Darkness): Nolan North_

_Omega: Kirk Thornton_

_**You're walking with blisters**_

_**And running with shears**_

_**So unholy, sister of grace**_

_Thank you everyone who reviewed even a single time. It's been a year and a day since this started, and in that time, I've made uncountable friends, and gone from zero to...well, maybe not a hero, but you know what I mean. I appreciate every word of encouragement. It's been a great ride, guys._

_**Runaway**_

_**From the river to the streets**_

_**And find yourself with your face in the gutter**_

_**You're a stray for the salvation army**_

_**There is no place like home**_

Fin.


End file.
